A glasses-less 3D tablet reference design tips up

IMAGING OUTFIT Masterimage has revealed a 3D tablet reference design that doesn't need shutter glasses.

Masterimage's Cell tablet is based on Texas Instruments' OMAP 4430 chip to deliver an autostereoscopic 3D display on a tablet device. The most important part of Masterimage's announcement is that it will enable hardware developers to use its glasses-less 3D technology to produce 3D tablets worthy of your time.

The display uses Masterimage's cell-matrix parallax barrier to display 3D images. The technology uses what the firm calls a 'cell gap' to allow users to view images in both portrait and landscape modes in both 2D and 3D. Perhaps the best part of the technology is that it can work with several types of display technology including TFT, OLED and even plasma.

Software outfit Cyberlink announced its partnership with Masterimage to create 3D video playback software that makes use of Masterimage's 3D display. Alice Chang, CEO of CyberLink said, "We are excited about the growing market opportunity for watching 3D movies and digital content without the need for special glasses, which delivers more convenient and innovative 3D movie experience on Android platform."

Chang is not far wrong, because while 3D displays are something of a laughing stock when you are forced to wear cumbersome shutter glasses, by ditching the glasses they become a whole lot more attractive both physically and financially.

Masterimage's Cell tablet is currently available to tablet developers in 4.3in and 7in screen sizes, with the firm saying that it will release a 10.1in unit this Summer. µ