Aerial image formation device using solid aerial formation technology

Abstract

To provide an aerial image formation device capable of forming an aerial image that can be appreciated by an audience without feeling concave / convex inversion of aerial image formation of a solid object.SOLUTION: An aerial image formation device for forming a solid image in the air using a retroreflective sheet, comprises: a subject on which an image is to be formed in the air; a light source for irradiating the subject with light; and a beam splitter that reflects the light irradiated from the light source to the subject and reflected from the subject toward the retroreflective sheet, and transmits the light reflected by the retroreflective sheet, where a surface of the subject on which an image is to be formed in the air is substantially composed of a continuous curved surface, a light-absorbing black screen is arranged around the subject, and the beam splitter comprises an absorptive linear polarization plate on a front surface, and a reflective linear polarization plate on a back surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerial imaging device using a stereoscopic aerial imaging technique. [Background technology]

[0002] When attempting to form an image of a three-dimensional object in the air, the principle is that an aerial image with inverted projections and recesses is obtained. Therefore, in order to avoid this inversion of projections and recesses, conventional aerial image display devices that display video content in the air display flat images in the air, as seen in, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2023-001957). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-001957 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology as described above, and has as its object to provide an aerial imaging device that allows an audience to view an aerial image of a three-dimensional object without feeling any concave-convex inversion of the image, even when the object is imaged in the air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In the course of intensive research and efforts to solve the above problems, the inventors have discovered that, preferably, when an aerial image of a three-dimensional object is formed under the conditions of (1) to (5) below, it is possible to provide an aerial image that an audience can view without feeling any concave-convex inversion: (1) The three-dimensional object (subject) you want to image in mid-air must be composed mainly of continuous curved surfaces; (2) When light is shone from a light source onto a three-dimensional object (subject) that you wish to image in mid-air, the continuity of the curved surface of the three-dimensional object (subject) is not interrupted by physical obstacles or other factors that cause dark areas on the three-dimensional object (subject); (3) Illuminate only the object (subject) you want to image in the air, and place a light-absorbing black screen such as velvet on everything other than the object (subject); (4) The beam splitter of the aerial imaging device is a glass plate with an absorptive linear polarizer attached to its front side and a reflective linear polarizer attached to its back side; (5) Use a light source with little halation so that only the subject is illuminated. An example of a light source with little halation is Source Four, an LED light source. Effect of the Invention

[0006] It becomes possible to project images of surfaces such as faces, or three-dimensional objects such as dolls and people, as aerial images that the audience does not perceive as being inverted, making it possible to create a more realistic spatial presentation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an aerial imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerial imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] According to the findings of the inventors, with the aerial imaging device of the present embodiment shown in Figure 1, that is, by using a three-dimensional object composed of continuous curves as a subject, and irradiating light only onto the subject to be imaged so that the subject's curves and the continuity of the subject as an object are not interrupted by light and dark or physical obstacles, a black screen composed of a light-absorbing material such as velvet is placed on parts other than the subject to be imaged, and an absorptive linear polarizer is attached to the front side of the beam splitter and a reflective linear polarizer is attached to the back side of the glass plate, it is possible to provide an aerial imaging that the audience can view without feeling any inversion of the unevenness of the aerial imaging.

[0010] The operation of an aerial image display device according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be briefly described.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the aerial image display device according to this embodiment has inside it a three-dimensional object (subject) 8 on which an image is to be formed in the air. In this example, the three-dimensional object 8 that is the subject is a Noh mask, and is composed of a continuous curved surface. As a three-dimensional object used in the aerial image display device according to the present invention, a three-dimensional object composed of a continuous curved surface as in this example, or composed of substantially continuous curved surfaces, and having a gently curving surface overall, is preferable.

[0012] The aerial image display device according to this embodiment also includes a light source 7 for illuminating the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject. The light source 7 is configured to illuminate substantially only the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject. In this example, the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject, is illuminated by the light irradiated from the light source 7 so that the continuity of its curved surface and / or the continuity as a three-dimensional object is not interrupted. In other words, in this example, there is no physical obstacle between the light source 7 and the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject, and the shape of the three-dimensional object 8 is also a gently curved surface overall, so that the three-dimensional object 8 illuminated by the light irradiated from the light source 7 does not substantially have partial light and dark areas or interruptions in illumination.

[0013] Meanwhile, a light-absorbing black curtain 10 is arranged behind and around the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject. Although the light source 7 is configured to substantially only illuminate the three-dimensional object 8, which is the subject, a small amount of light is also illuminated around the three-dimensional object 8. The light illuminated around the three-dimensional object 8, in other words, the light illuminated on areas other than the three-dimensional object 8, is absorbed by the black curtain. There are no particular limitations on the material of the black curtain, but it is preferable that the material be, for example, velvet.

[0014] Light emitted from a light source 7 and incident on a three-dimensional object 8 is reflected by the three-dimensional object 8. The light reflected by the three-dimensional object 8 is incident on a beam splitter 5. In this example, the beam splitter 5 is a glass plate with an absorptive linear polarizer 4 attached to its front surface and a reflective linear polarizer 6 attached to its back surface.

[0015] A portion of the light that is reflected by the three-dimensional object 8 and enters the beam splitter 5 is reflected by the beam splitter 5 and enters the retroreflective sheet 9. The light that enters the retroreflective sheet 9 is retroreflected back to the beam splitter 5. The light retroreflected by the retroreflective sheet 9 passes through the beam splitter 5 and is focused in the air, forming the aerial image 3.

[0016] According to the findings of the present inventors, when the aerial image 3 formed in the air in this way is observed from the spectator's viewpoint 1, it is surprisingly observed as an image (virtual image) in which the concaves and convexes are not inverted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0017] 1. Spectator's perspective 2 Virtual image where the projections and recesses are not inverted (actually visible) 3 Actual aerial image 4 Polarizing plate (absorption type) 5 Beam splitter 6 Polarizing plate (reflective type) 7 light source 8. A three-dimensional object with gently curved surfaces that you want to image in mid-air (e.g. Noh masks) 9. Retroreflective sheeting 10. Light-absorbing black fabric such as velvet

Claims

1. An aerial imaging device for forming a stereoscopic image in the air using a retroreflective sheet, The subject you want to image in the air, a light source for irradiating the subject with light; a beam splitter that reflects light irradiated from the light source onto the subject and reflected from the subject toward the retroreflective sheet and transmits the light reflected by the retroreflective sheet; the surface of the object to be imaged in the air is substantially composed of a continuous curved surface; A light-absorbing black curtain is placed around the subject, The aerial imaging device is characterized in that the beam splitter is a beam splitter having an absorptive linear polarizer on its front surface and a reflective linear polarizer on its back surface.

2. A spatial presentation method comprising the steps of: installing the aerial imaging device according to claim 1 on a stage; and providing an audience with a stereoscopic image formed using the aerial imaging device.

3. A spatial presentation method, comprising providing a stereoscopic image formed by the spatial imaging device according to claim 1 as an exhibit.

Images