AIR-range: Arranging optical systems to present mid-AIR images with continuous luminance on and above a tabletop

Abstract

We propose “AIR-range”- a system that seamlessly connects mid-air images from the surface of a table to mid-air space. This system can display tall mid-air images in the three-dimensional (3D) space beyond the screen. AIR-range is implemented using a symmetrical mirror structure that displays a large image by integrating multiple imaging paths. The mirror arrangement in previous research had a problem in that the luminance was discontinuous. In this study, we theorize the relationship between the parameters of optical elements and the appearance of mid-air images and optimize an optical system to minimize the difference in luminance between image paths.