This may be the year that 3D television sets flood the market, but some engineers have turned to aircraft in search of a viewing experience that is still more immersive. Two teams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on a unique 3D display dubbed Flyfire, in which a flock of tiny aircraft carrying multicoloured LEDs hover in front of the viewer to form an image. As pixels that can move through space, the free-flying LEDs could form a shape-shifting 3D display.
As well as the pixels displaying moving images like a normal screen, they could change their position to add real depth. It's a 3D display with a dual aspect – it can show an image like a traditional display, but then those pixels can move and transform into another shape. The ultimate goal is to make a Flyfire display containing 1000 or more much smaller flying pixels. Within five years, the researchers plan to showcase their ongoing progress in an exhibition space.More information:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18581-3d-display-made-of-flying-pixelcopters-in-the-works.html