www.3dinnovationcenter.de

Stereoscopic image depiction has developed to become one of the most important growth segments of the digital mediabranch. Forerunner has been especially the technique of 3D cinema, meanwhile the number of 3D productions and 3D cinema installations is worldwide exponentially increasing.

Due to this rapid development 3D technique has also unexpectedly found its entry into the homesegment. In the beginning of 2010 Blue-ray Disc Association and HDMI Consortium have adopted points of intersection. Famous manufacturers have released 3D capable terminals and Blue-ray Disc-recorders already in the end of 2010 and assume, that by 2015 there will be more then a 30% rate of households equiped with 3D options. A few TV stations already started in 2010 to broadcast 3DTV devision channels. Untill 2015, an increase of 100 availible 3D channels is presumed.

This development was only made possible by a longstanding forefield research in all areas of the TV chain of transmission: from exposure technique up to post-production, data description, coding, transmission right up to both 3d capable displays and terminals.
As a result, currently stereoscopic systems are especially prevalent in cinema, TV and for mobile devices. However, nowadays almost unexeptionally used glasses-based systems are being seen as a transititory technique thus worldwidely, autostereoscopic solutions are being investigated.
Another problem of 3D lie in the higher production costs in comparison to 2D, that especially cause a problem in the TV branch.

That is why the Fraunhofer HHI currently researches on solutions how to produce and transmit 3D affordably, whereby formats are being utilised that are also capable of future autostereoscopic systems and by that being future-proof. The developed technologies and concepts concerning the whole transmission chain of 3D are being introduced in my speech. Furthermore i am going to get on the 3D innovation centre at HHI that has been founded while IFA/Berlin in 2011 and that set itsself to enhance the whole 3D market.

Curriculum Vitae

Ralf Schäfer studied communication engineering at Technische Universität Berlin (ZUB) and after his diploma he became a scientific employee at Heinrich Hertz Insititut Berlin.
He wrote his doctorate at TUB in the field of digital coding of televisionsignals. Since 1989, he is head of the department Image Processing of HHI, where he is responsible for 70 scientists and 40 student workers. His scientific interests lie in all areas concerning image and video, beginning from recording to the display as such, on to chiprealisation to algorythms. Currently he coordinates the Core Technology Cluster of the THESEUS – research program on the "internet of services".

Ralf Schäfer is head of ITG expert comitee „digital imagecoding“ and member of the judge comitee of FKTG. In 1986, he has been rewarded with the ITG Price of Literature and in 2000 he achieved the Richard-Theile Medaille of FKTG.