Team 3D
Erik Lorhammer
Christopher Bermel
Josh Cornelius
Electrical Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Objectives

3D Volumetric Display

System will load pictures from an external
memory source to main memory and send
pictures to projector in a specified order.

Project an image onto a rotating screen, the
rotation of this screen will produce the
appearance of a 3D image. The projected
images will be 2D.

Uses: Projection of 3D images can be used for
multiple purposes, examples could include
military use, topographical maps, educational
use (DNA strands), medical, etc.
Memory
Card
Power
Supply
(9V)
Altera
FPGA
Power
120V 60Hz
USB/VGA
Optical
System
(Mirrors)
Projector
Control
Panel
Voltage Control
Gears/Belt
Motor
Mechanical
System
Screen
Motor
Control Board
(FPGA)
Projector

Main board of the system

Connects by VGA to projector and has external memory interface.
Connects to an external button panel which will provide all the inputs needed.
(Load from external memory to memory, turn on/off system, start output to
projector, stop output to projector)
 Development work will be done on the Altera Development Board present in
capstone lab which already has Flash input and VGA output.
 Once development work is completed the Development Board will no longer be
used and a PCB will be constructed with only the following components:







Altera FPGA
External Memory Input
VGA Output
Control Panel hookup
Power Subsystem
On-Board Flash Memory

A series of images will be displayed on a
rotating translucent screen. Each image
will be taken from a different angle, so the
projection of the sequence will appear 3
dimensional.

Mirrors will rotate along with the screen so
the projector can remain stationary.

The translucent screen will transmit 50% of
the light, so the image will appear to be
floating in space.

The projector we are currently looking at is
a small handheld projector.

The desired resolution is either 480x320 or
640x480, depending on the projector.

The projector will connect to the control
board through either VGA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translucence

Step-up Motor by Automation Direct which will
operate at a certain RPM determined by our
hardware’s FPS and the refresh rate of the projector
we choose.
 Rotate disk that will contain a screen and set of mirrors by
either a system of gears or belt

Possible Materials
 Aluminum
▪ Rotating Disk (possibly Plexi-glass)
▪ Structurally hold Screen
▪ Base
 Purchase Gears
Schedule

FPS may not be sufficient to produce a quality 3D image.
 Lower resolution
 Decrease complexity
 Decrease number of colors (ie. 24 bit to 256 color)

Unfamiliar Technology
 Altera FPGA (Cyclone II)
▪ Xilinx board (used in digital logic, but prefer not to)
 Interfaces
▪ Flash
▪ VGA
 Mechanical aspects
▪ Materials (metals, gears, belts, etc)
▪ Could use outside assistance to get mechanical aspects working correctly
▪ Torque of motor may be insufficient

Financial
 Cheaper components that are still effective
▪ Instead of metal use alternate for example Plexi-glass or Plastics
 Request bailout for 3D volumetric display industry

Schedule Uncertainty





Other classes
Work
Weather
Machining Schedule and Class
Can’t exactly predict how long components will take us to
build/test

Cost









Motor - $20 (AutomationDirect – STP-MTR-17048)
Altera FPGA – SparkFun - $Free
PCB – $10
Mirrors - $100
Projector - $400
Screen - $50+
Dome - $100
Base - $50
MFG / Production / Materials Cost - $400
▪ Total: ~$1130

Potential Marketability
 Military, Education, Medical, Architecture, anyone who would ever want to see a
3D image, etc. Could be adopted for multiple other uses in the future.
 Purchase price – Mass Production - $5000

Environmental Impact of Manufacturing
 The union of the impacts of manufacturing the individual components plus putting
them together. Energy cost of running the unit.

Sustainability
 Parts from more than one vendor? No, the parts are chosen carefully to fit specific
needs.
 Maintenance and support? Mechanical aspects of the system could possibly break.
Need replacement parts for every part of the system, plan to replace every part.
Will have User Manual and 1-800 number if system ever reaches market.

Manufacturability
 Effect of Component tolerances? System could overheat, metal and
mirrors and glass will be spinning at high speed.
 Worst-case analysis, expected production yield? Worst case is system
becomes unstable during rotation or mirrors shatter during vibration as
well as electrical components coming detached. 99/100 systems will be
manufactured well as long as defects are not in our suppliers products.
 Testability? Straight forward, make sure all components work especially
the mechanical components and put out dummy image to see if the full
system is working.
 Compliance to regulations? Will have to keep system within FCC
regulations, system will be shielded by its casing. Have to make sure the
mechanical aspects are safe.

Safety
 Safety in the workspace? Glass will be thick enough in final product
to protect user from any demolition inside the globe.
 System safety issues? Discussed in earlier sections, the system will
plug straight into the wall with shielded cables.

Impact on society
 This product will have a huge positive impact on society. The pros
will outweigh the cons.