I have been thinking about the apparent lack of real world applications for S3D, other than the obvious examples, as in the entertainment industry.
I cannot understand why more effort has not been put into S3D X-ray baggage inspection at airports.
Surely there is a pressing need for better baggage inspection, especially with all the concern over drugs and terrorism.
EDIT: The following idea would work if X-ray machines were like cathode ray tubes, where a point source emits rays towards a 'shadow mask' to produce an image on a screen.
Unfortunately for my idea, X-ray machines read a narrow strip of the 'shadow mask' at any time, denying the opportunity of a perspective image suitable for producing a stereo pair.
On the other hand, if two linear photodector arrays were used at a suitable spacing, then its feasible to reconstruct a stereo pair set of images.
Thanks.This is what I originally proposed.
Conventionally, the baggage rides on a linear conveyor, then it enters the X-ray screening box, and then it exits out the other side once the screening has taken place.
During screening, a video image of the X-rayed baggage is presented on a monitor for viewing by the operator.
The baggage is linearly displaced by the motion of the conveyor, as it is being checked and moved on.
Here's where the 3D idea comes in.
Using one video source, a stereo pair of x-ray images can be obtained of the baggage.
To get these images, the first image is captured and then the baggage is moved by the conveyor to an offset position where the second image is captured.
The first and second views of the same baggage from the video source form an X-ray stereo pair suitable for viewing in S3D.
In practice, the stereo separation of the respective baggage images as seen in the S3D viewer could be adjusted for operator preference.
This may be performed by means of adjusting the conveyor feed, by adjusting the video image time-delay accordingly, or by some other means.
The S3D monitor would be used to support the existing screening equipment.