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barrier methods

integral methods

early lenticular

lenticular today

Note from the Author

References
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The history of lenticular printing - integral method

 
fly's eye lens
Figure 9 . An Integral "Fly's-eye" lens array
greatly enlarged. (Roberts, 1992)

On March 3rd , 1908, physicist Professor Gabriel M. Lippmann (1845-1921) proposed the use of a series of lenses at the picture surface instead of opaque barrier lines. He announced this to the French Academy of Sciences under the title "La Photographie Integral". He was able to record a complete spatial image with parallax in all directions. The process utilized an array of small spherical lenses, known as a fly's-eye lens array (a screen that consisted of a tremendous number of small convex lenses), to both record and playback the image.


Professor Gabriel M. Lippmann
Figure 10. Professor Gabriel M. Lippmann.
A self-portrait using his color photographic process. (Lippmann)

Lippmann, truly a man before his time, was best known for his invention of the photographic reproduction of true color in 1886. The colors were reproduced by recording standing waves formed within an emulsion layer by the interference of direct and reflected light.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for the invention in 1908. The invention was, ironically, in essence the first holographic method.
 
Two views of an Integram
Figure 11. Two views of an 11" x 14"
"Integram" photograph by Roger de
Montebello. (Roger de Montebello, 1977)

A number of researchers continued to advance the process of Integral Photography over the last 30 years including, most prominently; Roger de Montebello, Lesley Dudley and Robert Collier of the US, Neil Davis and Malcolm McCormick of the U.K. and Yu. A. Dudnikov and B. K.Rozhkov of the former Soviet Union.


An integral image (without the lens) of a woman's face
Figure 12. An integral image (without the lens)
of a woman's face, greatly enlarged. Note that each lens records its own unique picture. (Roberts, Villums 1989)

Creating 3D integral imagery, by digitally interlacing a mulplicity of computer generated two-dimensional views, was first demonstrated in 1978 by Yutaka Igarashi, Hiroshi Murata and Mitsuhiro of Japan. They and others also developed experimental integral television methods. Digitally interlacing integral imagery for high-resolution color pictures was first proposed in 1990. Thousands of experimental images have been produced by a variety of methods exhibiting 3D, animation and other effects over the years. Although Integral imagery has not yet achieved significant commercial success, its use is inevitable and holds great promise as being a very unique display medium.

 
 
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