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Comment by drivebyacct2 | Hacker News Reader

So this is "3d" now? Wow, I've got a lot of cool stuff that is 3d, including a prototype compiz plugin that does roughly the same thing. Gives you spatial context for windows on your desktop environment via Kinect and OpenCL.

I had no idea I could get away with calling this "3d", and have people in the comments thinking it's the same technology as the 3ds.

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3D on a screen is always an illusion of some sort. The 3DS is just a different illusion (albeit a more technically involved one, for sure). It's not any more "3D" than this. Perspective not changing when your head moves is one of the things that breaks a 3D illusion; with this, you don't have that problem.

There is a big difference between old style 3D (that games have had for dozen years) and stereoscopic 3D where your brain captures the depth because each eye sees a _different_ image. Seeing depth makes it a much more involving experience.

I agree, there is. Stereoscopic 3D isn't an end-all solution, however, and this isn't just ordinary "old style 3D", either. Head-tracking 3D is still a pretty novel technique, adding the illusion that you can look around an environment just by moving. I imagine that combining the two you could create a pretty immersive experience, although I can also admit there might be some difficulties doing so.

Do you still see 3D with one eye closed?

Most people instinctively say "no". But the reality is that there are far more cues for depth than just stereoscopic vision. Someone with one eye still perceives depths by judging relative object sizes, changes in focus and subtle changes in objects when we move relative to the object.

Head tracking will almost certainly play a big part in coming 3D techs (with or without stereoscopic tech). Add to this eye tracking to adjust virtual focus, and you start to get "real" 3D. One day!

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