Infinitx D - Crowdsourcing a new Curved Surround Display.

A while ago I posted in the forum regarding a bezel-less rear projected display we've been working on for museum installations. We’ve since started actively developing a smaller curved display for the home gamer and simulator enthusiast. We’re calling it the Infinitx D. Infinitx as in “infinite in the x-axis” with a D for desktop edition..

We would like to invite all WSGF members to contribute, in the form of comments, criticisms and wishes to help create a truly crowdsourced product that meets the needs of gamers and simulator constructors.

To offer a flavour of curved screen surround gaming, here’s a video of some systems already on offer today.
http://fireuser.com/blog/eyefinity_using_curved_displays_for_full_surround_view/

The goal of this project is to produce a complete, affordable display system, that can fit in the average office space, is easy to set up, supports existing games and simulators (preferably without mods or warping software), and above all offers an immersive experience that is out of the ordinary.

Here is our progress so far. Firstly, two concept demos showing a 135 and a 180 degree screen respectively. Both are based on actual physical dimensions and would be readily constructable.

Link to 3D model of 135 degree version

Link to 3D model of 180 degree version

The grey areas at the back of the 3D models represent grey areas(!), that is, they are not yet defined in detail, though have been calculated as the volume necessary to house the projectors and reflectors.

Both concept demos use an array of 3 projectors. We’re in the process of sourcing and testing projectors, to find the one that offers the best balance of image quality/noise/price/resolution/features etc. This obviously has a big impact on the overall design and final functionality, not to mention the overall investment to build one.

What we have to offer is a method for designing and producing the mirror assemblies (we call them cradles) and screens to make virtually any projector into a curved display. Soon we will have the facilities for building physical prototypes and even limited production runs.

We need your help

In order to cover the natural human frustum of vision, we instinctively plumbed for a 180 degree display. This offers full peripheral coverage and displays fisheye video content in all it's glory. Talking to Skip Clarke and others on the forum, we quickly realised this isn’t necessarily the optimal spread for all games, or gamers. For flight and driving simulators it might be cool, but for FPS, perhaps another arc would be preferable? That’s just the kind of design decision we would really like to discuss.

In order to give an idea of the input that would be valuable to us, here’s some actual questions currently under discussion.

1. What is the optimal arc for a wide screen gaming display? (Should there be different options?)
2. Is stereoscopic 3D important to gamers? (Does anyone actually use it?)
3. What’s the maximum acceptable physical size for such a display?
4. What should it cost? There are several places where it’s possible to compromise on materials and components. Which weighs heavier, the price or the output image quality?
5. Should the screen be self assembly (think IKEA) of ready to rock?
6. Is portability a factor that should be considered? Should you be able to pack the screen down either for travel or storage?
7. What’s most important, a display which is “true to life” (geometrically) or one that gives you the biggest advantage over your competitors?
8. Should the projectors be removable for use interdependently or in other setups?

Of course we have our own instincts and guesses about all these things, but we sure would like to hear other peoples. While those were a few specific questions for inspiration, feel free to contribute with anything you feel could be relevant.

Here we have prepared some background information, based on our own research.

Projectors
We are convinced the projectors should be of the LED or laser variety, rather than more traditional (and often cheaper) halogen powered, as LED offers some distinct advantages.

• First there’s the lamp life. An LED setup can run for over 20,000 hrs without changing a lamp, against around 3,000 with halogen. That’s the equivalent of 6 years gaming if you play 8 hours a day, 365 days a year!
• Power factor. LED uses far less power, generating less heat and when you have 3 projectors, that becomes important.
• The third, less obvious advantage is the color matching across projectors. All incandescent lamps emit a slightly different color, and their color changes over their lifespan. LED is far more stable in this respect.
• Instant on/off. LED lamps can cope with being turned off suddenly, and are generally quicker to come up to full power than traditional projectors.

Screen Tech
After testing every type of screen material we could get our hands on, we have come up with what we hope will be a winning formula. Using a film developed for light dispersion within flat screen TV’s coupled with a low reflectivity acrylic, we can produce screens that give high contrast at a competitive price.

Reflectors
As yet it hasn’t been possible to find a true short throw LED projector on the market (for less than $3000 each!!) Therefore it is necessary to fold the light output from the projector to reduce the distance needed behind the screen (currently approx. 35cm).

The current design uses 3 separate reflectors, to give the minimal depth practically possible. We are constantly experimenting with different materials including polished metals, plastics and silvered glass. To keep down the weight and price of the Infinitx D, we are planning to use plastic reflectors.

General Construction
The entire construction, apart from the acrylic screen, is of 6mm plywood. This gives a good weight/strength ratio and is easily cut with a laser or routing machine.
We are considering making the drawings available so that people with access to the relevant equipment could create their own home brew Infinitx screen. (Is that of interest to anyone?)

Thanks for listening!

I really do hope some of you will feel like getting involved :)