3D Mirror Accessory Turns iPhones Into Fun 3D Cinemas [Video

[Silversurfer]

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Whoa. While you can't actually buy this i3DG peripheral for your iPhone yet, I'm already imagining playing 3D games created especially for it. You can kiss the 3DS buh-bye.

It figures it's Japan-originated, where creator Jitsuro Mase collaborated with Directions, Inc for an Austrian expo. I desperately hope Mase manages to put it into production, because it looks far better than any other form of "3D" I've seen on something that small, including Sharp's parallax barrier panels that are used in Nintendo's 3DS.

The small add-on is made up of three 45-degree mirrors, which slips over the iPhone (or iPad, as apparently they made larger ones too), and projects whatever video is playing on the iPhone. You may look a little silly watching a movie by staring at the 30-pin connector of the iPhone, but little do those around you know that you're actually enjoying a quality 3D illusion by the name of pepper's ghost—something that's been around since the 1860s, supposedly.

For now, it only works with custom clips, but if enough developers are intrigued by this video, they could start creating clips and games in thirds, ready for launch. [Palm Top Theater via Creative Applications via Fastco]

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[Silversurfer]

planer, should have thought of this earlier

[cybereality]

Wow, pretty cool idea. Still pretty limited in terms of application, but the concept is sound. Although this is nothing new, just google "Pepper's Ghost". Also, I think this is how Sega did those "holographic" games like the TimeTraveler. However, now that someone incorporated an iPhone of course its a big deal.

[Fredz]

It's not planar, just 3 layers of 2D images at different depths, so not really 3D actually. But very cool nonetheless, I guess I'll buy one for my iPhone when it becomes available, just like the ViewMaster-style device from Hasbro...

[Fredz]

Also, I think this is how Sega did those "holographic" games like the TimeTraveler.

It's not the same technique, the Time Traveler used a CRT monitor with a parabolic mirror, there was no depth at all.