Scientists in South Korea create 3D eBooks

Posted on 29 Mar 2010 at 10:26

3D monitors and TVs are becoming increasingly popular, but at least one group is looking to take the technology to a new level - 3D eBooks.

As reported on TechRadar, scientists at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have used a new technology to add animated illustrations to eBooks aimed at children - a sort of technological pop-up book for the 21st century.

The technology - based around software that the team have been developing for the past three years - relies on special glasses worn by the viewer to create the three-dimensional effect on the e-reader's screen.

When triggered by prompts in the story, readers don the glasses and are presented with a three-dimensional animation which moves as the book is tilted and shifted. So far, the team has created animations for two books of Korean folk tales.

The project leader, Kim Sang-cheol, has stated that he is confident that - despite the requirement for special glasses - the technology will be easily affordable, although he warns that "it will take awhile to market this technology to the general public." Sadly, Sang-cheol and his team have yet to provide any hints as to exactly how affordable the technology will be - nor when we can expect products based around it to hit shop shelves here in the UK.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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