Head mounted display systems (HMDS) are recognized as a valuable tool for synthetic environment simulations. To maintain an image of reality, the ideal system should be stereographic and capable of immediate real-time response to computer-or camera- generated imagery. Unfortunately, stereoscopy has a number of inherent weaknesses. Gross misjudgments of distance, velocity, and shape occur if unrestrained head motion is permitted, without real- time regeneration of a matching stereo pair. Volume approach is a good solution, and has a much stronger potential for producing a good device for synthetic imaging than does stereoscopic approach. Using recent advances in image processing techniques and in LCD development, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes a novel volume visualization display. POC uses a computer-stored image of a simulated 3-D scene and then rearranges it as a set of 2-D cross sections (slices). The display will have a corresponding set of "switchable" layers, whose state can be instantaneously changed from transparent to scattering. POC's device will have full see- through capability. A lightweight, full color volume visualization HMDS prototype will be demonstrated in Phase II.//
