A glimpse of 3D in Orange County

April 28, 2006
A glimpse of 3D in Orange County
http://blogs.ocregister.com/gadgetress/archives/2006/04/

Last night, I watched in awe as a virtual Suzuki motorcycle spun in front of me on a giant silver screen. It was an animated, 3D image showcasing technology from Eon Reality in Irvine.

The motorcycle looked so real, yet my mind knew it was just an illustration. Still, the 3D was so good, I felt like I could reach out in front of me and touch it.

Eon Reality set up a bunch of 3D demos at its new office off Alton Parkway last night. Truly fascinating. I haven't kept up with 3D technology so an hour of my time got me caught up.

Like this car I'm "holding." It's an image projected on a glass so it looks like it's hovering. I'm standing behind it, but I can't see anything in front of me except, a flat car on the screen on the table.

Dan Lejerskar, Eon's chairman, showed me how the company created these interactive kiosks for Suzuki dealers so customers can customize a motorcycle, add accessories and see the result in a 3D image immediately. The next step, he said, is to add a 'create' button so one pops out of the factory and they drive home with it right away. During a trial run among 200 or so Suzuki dealers, accessory sales increased dramatically because people could see exactly what they wanted in front of their eyes.

This isn't limited to Suzukis of course. Eon works with the government, educators, major aircraft companies and small businesses that want to stand out. The company says using 3D helps people understand better, remember longer and decide faster.

I'm hoping to look into this more, and this is just an FYI to curious readers. Check out Eon Reality. The company recently decided to make its low-end 3D software kit free to anyone. Read more about it HERE. There's also a free viewer on the site. If you want to see some of the company work sans 3D glasses, take a look at its online demos. You'll need the Eon's free viewer to see this.