3D information technology

3D information technology is information technology that operates using three-dimensional space. Unlike traditional 2D (two-dimensional) information technology which only considers a 2D plane, 3D information technology adds a dimension of depth.

An example is a 3D display. Another example is a 3D controller.

Properly done 3D human-computer interaction is theorized to improve the communication bandwidth between the human cortex and a digital tertiary layer. A large part of the focus on 3D information technology is communicating using three dimensions (3D) using the visual cortex, to be able to use more of the human brain for complex cognition tasks.

One of the highest-amount-of-information-processing parts of the brain is the visual cortex.

According to Louis Rosenberg, the ideal way to interaction with digital information is in 3D.

A standard 2D computer serves as external working memory to the prefrontal and visual cortexes, but does not serve as rich working memory for the posterior parietal area.

3D human-computer interaction can force parietal dominance as a default cognitive mode, which underlies much of what we call genius-level reasoning. It forces the prefrontal cortex to solve problems using spatial invariants.

Hardware

• Dynamic focus/varifocal displays: To give a natural 3D view of a computer-generated scene, with all focal cues like in the real world. This is crucial for long-term comfort and realism.

• Advanced spatial tracking (sub-millimeter precision): For both the user and physical objects in the environment, enabling precise interaction and alignment of digital and physical content.

Software

• Real-time Collaborative 3D Workspaces: Multiple users, locally or remotely, could simultaneously interact with the same 3D information in a shared volumetric space. Engineers could intuitively collaborate on a car design, walking around it virtually, making changes, and feeling the impact of those changes in real-time.

History

• Ivan Sutherland
• Leap Motion
• Looking Glass Factory
• CREAL