It gets better! Lytro 3D Demo

Posted on by Lytro

If you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that Lytro’s light field camera let’s you shoot first, focus later. But, you may have missed the news that Lytro will automatically capture pictures that can be viewed in 3D. By recording the light field instead of a photograph, Lytro will let you choose how to view your living pictures. So, in addition to refocusing pictures you shoot with a Lytro, you can also switch seamlessly between 2D and 3D views.

Want to see it in action? This is the 3D Living Picture Demo we shared at our recent launch party. So, grab your collector’s edition Avatar 3D glasses and pretend you’re squeezed in with a couple hundred of your closest friends – just like being there.

You can view this living picture 3D demo using colored (anaglyph) glasses, a 3D display, or by doing fancy tricks with your eyes. We’ve also had reports that it looks really cool on the HTC EVO 3D phone.

  • terry

    Can you post a tutorial on how to create and view the 3D images? This post is over a year old and there is nothing on the website that explains how to split an image for 3D viewing.

    • http://lytro.com/ Lytro

      We’re working on the software update that will allow 3D viewing. This was a demo of the capability.

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  • http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/ Chris

    Is the software capable of generating a 3d file format suitable for use with a 3d printer? Or, will the next version have that ability? Please say yes!

    • Lytro

      Currently these are the only formats that work for the Lytro, but you can sign up for updates here and stay up to date with our software developments!

  • Paul S. Boyer

    I watched with side-by-side mode. The two members of the stereo pair were distorted by being squashed in the horizontal axis, which was not necessary, because there was room in the frame for two pictures side-by-side. The stereo effect was rather horrible: barely anything detectable.
    It appears that you need someone on your team who understands conventional stereo viewing, because the presentation here is sadly defective.

  • Garybaldycoot

    The Youtube 3D video is also awesome on the LG Optimus 3D.

  • http://jlcmb702.888forum.com/ 3D Glass

    hi!,I love your writing very much! percentage we keep up a correspondence extra approximately your post on AOL? I need an expert in this area to resolve my problem. May be that is you! Looking forward to look you.

  • Gridlock

    Oh, and to improve the camera to superior image quality beyond all other cameras (not a big deal at the moment which you are establishing a new market), look at MULTISPECTRAL IMAGING tech by Caliper Life Sciences. Once you are no longer limited exclusively to the crappy range of light frequencies that the standard image sensors take in, I can see a superior digital camera tech as the result. Ideally a superior 3D tech would be multi-camera array imaging, but there remains storage technology consumer cost limits in the multi-terabyte ranges.

  • Gridlock

    Useful single-frame 3D. This could enable practical 3D imagery without the handicap of being single-horizon-plane “stereo”. Since this hardware/software mix captures a pseudo-hemisphere of 3D lightfield you can project an image (once the display hardware is finally designed correctly) which is auto-stereoscopic (I didn’t come up with the name) in the same manner as a laser hologram. You can tilt your head at any angle, walk a 180 degree angle around the image and it should appear 3D at all angles without refocusing glasses. Better image resolution can be added by increasing the number of sensors plus focusing lens-array or the image sensor density.

  • http://lichtfeldkamera.net Oliver

    I can`t wait the lytro light field cameras hit the market. i hope i will i be abled to buy them in germany also in the beginning of next year…

    • Lytro

      If you haven’t done so already, you can sign up to be notified when we ship to your country.

  • Rudy Lorenz

    I am very interested in the camera and new technology. Thing is I think it is a mistake to only come out for Mac. It would be great to have the Windows based program available along with the Mac one.

    • Lytro

      Windows is coming soon. You can sign up to be notified when it is ready. This is just the beginning.

  • sheik

    Even the full size samples aren’t very clear. Does 11 megarays compute down to about 500k pixels ata ny given focal plane, or what? Is there a ‘higher bandwidth’ way to make the pics clearer, or will that have to wait for a 100 megaray version?

  • Aria

    Interesting! I was wondering if it is possible to extract the depth image using this technology. In that case it will work similar to Microsoft XBOX Kinect but with a better resolution and using only one camera.

    • Mark Rejhon

      The short anser is yes. Yes, you can algorithmically generate an artifical depth image from a light field. This is more accurate if all surfaces are clearly patterned (or a light pattern projected from near the camera lens). This is going to be an interesting exercise for computer programmer of software algorithms.

      However, whether this will be as high quality as dedicated depth cameras, is still a question to be determined. I think dedicated depth cameras will be here to stay, but I can confirm that it’s algorithmically possible to generate a depth image from a light field image.

      • http://www.marky.com Mark Rejhon

        I’ve done more thinking since my last post. Some very old primitive research was done at http://cs229.stanford.edu/proj2005/Johnston-LearningDepthInLightfieldImages.pdf …

        However, it can be done vastly better (much closer to a real depth field camera) by simply extrapolating from edges, so things like shadows on a blank wall stops creating artifacts.

        Just like there’s many ways to noise-filter an image “intelligently”, there will be the developmentment of many ways of estimating depth information in solid colors adjacent to edges. So a shadow on a blank wall or floor, would serve to enhance depth image extrapolation, in cases where it’s not possible to get accurate depth image information from a light field in solid-color areas of the image.

        Again, this will be a very interesting geek programming exercise, and I think that the quality can get fairly close (but not fully) to real depth cameras. Effective resolution of the depth image probably won’t be competitive to real depth cameras for a while, but it could eventually become good enough to be used as a depth sensor, when very good depth interpolation algorithms are used.

        Also, it is far more compute-intensive to get light field images. Imagine trying to do this in real time at 60 frames per second, and generating real time depth images from each frame! This will be a computing power challenge, but anything’s possible — Lytro did successfully miniaturize a light field camera.

        • http://www.marky.com Mark Rejhon

          Edit: I meant “primitive result”, not “primitive reseach”. It’s good research, just a primitive depth image.

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  • http://www.holomex.com.mx DAN LIEBERMAN

    In order to generate a 3D image, how many views can I get? I need to get more than 2 views.

    • Mark Rejhon

      Aria,

      As far as I understand the light field, 3D is simply getting 2 views by 2 pinpoints within the large aperture of the light field camera. So I think the 3D separation is proportional to the diameter of the aperture, since you’re emulating a pinhole camera at the left edge and the right edge of the single aperture through a single lens.

      Thus from a light field, you can theoretically can get an infinite number of pinpints within the circular aperture, i.e. infinite number of parallax views in a light field. I’m sure it’s not exactly infinite, as it’s likely finite number of pixels and a finite resolution of ray angles, but you can emulate a pinhole camera offset at any position in the wide aperture, to produce the 3D separations, both horizontally and vertically.

      Of course, because you’re capturing tiny apertures within the circle of the larger aperture, any 3D image is necessarily a wider depth of field than a non-3D image, in a light field camera.

      Since a theoretically infinite number of offsets of of simulated pinpoint viewpoints can be generated within the large aperture, it is my understanding that the light field image can even be converted to a hologram via specialized processes.

      The limit is that the image offset will be limited by the size of the aperture of the light field camera, so a tiny lens/tiny aperture will not produce much 3D viewpoints and poor 3D separation, while a large lens/large aperture will provide good 3D separation.

  • udi

    stop teasing and get me the camera already:)

    I have been hanging out since I first read the news earlier this year. I just want it and waiting is driving me nuts. I have been on the market for a high end digital camera for a while but am holding out to see what this can do as it may alter my photo equipment buying strategy altogether.

    • Lytro

      We’re excited you’re excited. We still plan to sell the first Lytro light field cameras later this year. We think many avid photographers will want to add a Lytro to their kit so they can explore creativity with a light field camera.

  • Samilliw

    Do you have any idea when this product will hit the market? You can email me and I will keep the secret. I’ve been waiting.

  • http://www.kona-scuba-diving.blogspot.com Steve

    I watched it on the cross-eyed setting, worked great for me. This sounds like a great little camera, the 3d’s a great bonus.

    • Patrick

      Watched it too! My head hurts but it looked great :)

  • ihor

    > (anaglyph) glasses

    i have never really understood why one would want to use anaglyph? you take some beautiful color pictures and then schmear them up with red and and blue? even thru the glasses, you still see too much red an blue. i guess it works, and you do not need to learn how to relax your eyes to see side by side 3d, but still?

    i guess that really is a topic for another blog? thanks for letting me rave on about it here!

    I-) ihor

  • ihor

    thanks for making the side by side 3d video in the ‘relaxed’ mode (i.e., NOT cross eyed mode). ‘relaxed’ mode is the way to go!

    I-) ihor

    • ingmar

      second that!

  • http://www.lichtfeldkamera-test.de Lichtfeldkamera Fan

    This technology is really amazing. I can’t wait to get this camera. I hope it will have an attractive price!

  • greg downing

    Nice video, I would love to see some video of a hologram made from the light field as well!

  • http://www.twitter.com/coolvirus Xenobio

    Actually I didn’t know YouTube has 3D videos, haha. Finally a use for the “Magic Eye” skills I developed in the early 90s since I don’t have a 3D computer monitor and no plan to buy one.

    The shot of a street taken through a high window with frosted glass squares on it looks fantastic in 3D.

  • http://www.studioteknik.com/ Marc-André Ménard

    I’m REALLY interested by this technology, and can see real use in another field that i can help develop. I have knowledge and experience that I can share if you contact me by email. It’s about converting thos beautifull 3D picture to something in print. I cannot really tell you more publicly, but will give it up in personal message. Thanks in advance

  • Bruce Schechter

    Will this same technique work for video?

    • Lytro

      Light field video is possible, but won’t be in the first Lytro camera.

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  • Boris Chuprin

    Hello! I’m fascinated with your technology, but I’d like to have answers to some obvious questions about current state of the project and its future.
    What is the current maximum final resolution for your system (without interpolation) and what resolution is planned for your consumer-grade camera? Are they going to be big enough for fullscreen viewing on modern monitors, or for small paper prints? How much CPU power is needed to process sensor data to obtain high-quality image on your computer for a given focus depth? Will your camera be able to preview resulting images quickly enough and what size they are expected to be, when stored on flash storage?

  • http://smartbudgetapp.com Grigory

    For so clear separation, how big is the front glass? :)

    Some ideas:

    1. The camera should charge from USB. Like iPod/iPhone.
    2. WiFi to share photos. Mark photos I want to share, then when the WiFi becomes available, they are uploaded. Another approach: upload every photo I have not deleted and let me sort them on the Web (like new Apple PhotoStream).
    3. Firmware update over-the-air, if you have WiFi or via usb like iPod.
    4. Forget about SD cards, just solder in 8Gb (or more) storage.
    5. Close as many holes in the camera as possible with rubber. Shooting without clumsy weather protection shell is very appealing for consumers. If you throw away SD card door and battery compartment that should be more easy. :)

    And you need great UI. Something like iOS Camera app. If you look at what ordinary consumer needs, traditional point-and-shoot is long overshot. :)

  • NIVELLE Guy

    May we have a french translation of your site ?

  • John Ball

    I love the new technology and I’m certainly thinking about buying one; however, price will be a big factor. As a retiree and considering the current economic situation price will be everything. Anything over $300 will put it out of the reach of most people.

  • Michael W. Maier

    Dear Lytro Team!
    I am completely amazed at the science/technology that you are working on. I’ve only stumbled upon Ren Ng’s thesis yesterday and my thoughts were (something along this line): “This is what I’ve been looking for…”
    I have had a project in mind for the past decade and seen no way to get it working. This may be exactly what can do the job.
    I’ll be following your progress…
    Regards,
    Mike

  • Abraham Shpitz

    The 3D side by side parallel was the best option in terms of resolution, 3d effect ,color fidelity and image stabilty(using a Pokescope stereoscope).
    Are the 2 images obtained in one shot with a single lens?

    • Lytro

      Yes – the pictures were taken in one shot with a single lens.

      • Patrick

        Is there a place that explains how the 3D works with one lens? I always thoughts 3D was created by offsetting the lens and not by a fancy light trick.

        • Lytro

          The Lytro captures the light field which includes the direction as well as intensity of the light. It can use this information to display living pictures in 3D (or not.)