Microdroplet-based 3-D volumetric displays utilizing emitted and moving droplet projection screens

• US 20100321478A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Foundry Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IP Foundry Incorporated
• Inventors: Tosaya, Carol A., Sliwa, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/50 the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/562 Screens moving during projection G03B21/58 - G03B21/62 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/608 Fluid screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 25/00 Viewers, other than projection viewers, giving motion-picture effects by persistence of vision, e.g. zoetrope
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/393 the volume being generated by a moving, e.g. vibrating or rotating, surface

Abstract

Volumetric three-dimensional (3-D) graphical or computer displays are disclosed herein that are capable of presenting objects, data, scenes or other visual information in a realistic or solid-like manner, allowing for an unaided observer to observe such static or moving objects from multiple perspectives with natural depth-cues and superior image quality. We utilize in this refined approach moving-screens formed from particulate-arrays and we preferably optically project multiple image sub-slices on each such flying-screen as it passes through the image-volume thereby minimizing particulate mass-flow since only once screen per image-volume is needed to present the several or many necessary slices of each volumetric frame.

Claims

1. A volumetric three-dimensional display capable of presenting temporally fused graphical and/or computer images or scenes to at least one viewer comprising:

a particulate material or media;

a particulate formation or provision mechanism;

a particulate emission mechanism;

a mechanism for projecting or writing on or into particulate;

at least some hardware or software supporting at least one aspect of one or more of data storage, data communication, data formatting, data projection or writing, display-powering, display control, image-volume ambient-control or particulate-manipulation;

at least some particulate or particulates emitted in spatial arrangements comprising at least one projection screen, projectable surface, projectable object-surface, projectable shell of an object or projectable-arrangement and being positioned or oriented, at least momentarily, at at least one position or orientation in an image volume, to receive projected or beam-written graphics or data corresponding to at least one image-volume, image-volume sub-slice or to at least one image-volume spatial position or orientation in the image volume; and

visually temporally-fused three dimensional image content being provided by optical-projection, image-wise projection or projected beam-writing upon or into one or more emitted projection or beam-written screens, surfaces or shells or arrangements in multiple such positions or orientations and/or over time.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted such that one or more has a major dimension such as a screen length, width or diameter parallel or roughly parallel to an emitter face for at least one moment;

b) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted such that one or more has a major dimension such as a screen length, width or diameter at an angle to an emitter face for at least one moment;

c) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted such that one or more has a major dimension such as a screen length, width or diameter roughly orthogonal to an emitter face for at least one moment;

d) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted such that one or more has a major dimension such as a screen length, width or diameter having a varying angle to an emitter face over a period of time;

e) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted which is substantially flat, curvilinear, domed or faceted in overall shape at at least one moment;

f) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted such that one or more has a major dimension such as a screen length, width or diameter which is larger than a screen or surface thickness;

or

g) one or more screens or surfaces is emitted which has a screen thickness of approximately between 1 and 100 particulates, more preferably between 1 and 50 particulates, and most preferably between 1 and 25 particulates.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein any of:

a) at least one screen, surface or shell is emitted and it translates and/or rotates some amount in an image volume;

b) at least one screen, surface or shell is emitted which has a limited lifetime in an image volume;

c) two or more emitted screens, surfaces or shells are, at least in part, simultaneously present in an image volume;

d) an emitted screen, surface or shell has a shape, orientation or dimension that changes during its period in an image volume;

or

e) two or more different emitted screens or surfaces pass through the image volume in the same manner or in a different manner.

4. The display of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

a) an emitted screen, surface or shell passes through or is present in an image volume such that at at least one moment its overall form or shape is substantially detached from the emitter and the catchment;

b) an emitted screen, surface or shell passes through or is present in an image volume such that at at least one moment its overall form or shape is substantially detached from the emitter;

c) an emitted screen, surface or shell passes through or is present in an image volume such that at at least one moment its overall form or shape is substantially detached from the catchment;

d) an emitted screen, surface or shell passes through or is present in an image volume longer than the time it takes an individual particulate to pass completely across or through the image volume;

e) an emitted screen, surface or shell translates within an image-volume with an average velocity comparable to an initial particulate emission velocity;

f) an emitted screen, surface or shell translates or rotates in an image volume in a manner substantially unaffected by image-volume ambient pressure;

or

g) an emitted screen, surface or shell has at least some of its emitted particulate or particulates one or more of;

(i) charged or discharged purposely or unavoidably, or (ii) manipulated with regards to charge-to-mass ratio.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) an emitted screen, surface or shell receives a single projected or beamed image sub-slice or subportion during its time in the image volume, the specific sub-slice or sub-portion appropriate for a position or orientation at which the screen, surface or shell is or will be at least momentarily located within the image volume;

or

b) an emitted screen, surface or shell receives two or more different projected or beamed image sub-slices or sub-portions during its time in the image volume, the specific sub-slices or sub-portions appropriate for two or more different positions or orientations at which the screen, surface or shell is or will be at least momentarily located within the image volume;

or

c) an emitted screen, surface or shell receives two or more different projected or beamed image sub-slices or sub-portions at two or more different times while in the image volume.

6. The display of claim 5 wherein a single emitted screen, surface or shell which serves to display two or more different image sub-slices or sub-portions of an image volume frame at two or more different spatial positions or orientations or at two different times while in the image volume thereby serves to reduce the total emission rate of particulate material because each emitted screen is optically employed multiple times rather than emitting one screen per image sub-slice.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein a projectable or beam-writable screening-surface or shell any of:

a) translates or rotates with a substantially unchanging overall shape while in the image volume;

or

b) translates or rotates with a substantially varying overall shape while in the image volume.

8. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) a particulate is a fluid, flowable droplet, microdroplet or bubble;

b) a particulate emission or image-volume velocity is measured in meters per second at any point in an image volume;

or

c) a particulate emission is at a zero or low velocity and is more properly characterized as a particulate-release which may or may not be followed by the further application of other particulate acceleration or steering forces.

9. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) an image volume is at or is maintained at a subatmospheric pressure;

b) an image volume is at or is maintained at a substantially atmospheric pressure;

c) an image volume ambient, at least in part, is comprised of a particulate material constituent or partial pressure therefrom;

d) an image volume ambient is substantially gaseous or vaporous at some point in time;

or

e) an image volume ambient has a pressure chosen to be beneficial to display operation.

10. The display of claim 1 wherein image-wise projection means that at least some portion of at least one image or image-slice comprising two or more pixels or voxels or their optical equivalents is simultaneously projected at a given moment.

11. The display of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

a) at least some image information is projected or written in the form of a hologram;

or

b) at least some particulate is emitted in an arrangement having a relation to a holographic image.

12. The display of claim 1 wherein projected beam-writing means that at least some portion of at least one image or image-slice is written, such as one pixel or voxel at a time, by a rastered or vectored scanning beam or beams.

13. The display of claim 1 wherein the at least one projectable spatial arrangement receives, is illuminated by, or is impinged by a projection, projected image or beam-written image delivered using a digital or analog spatial light modulator or SLM possibly including any MEMs-based micromirror SLM or liquid-crystal or electro-optic based SLM.

14. The display of claim 1 wherein said temporal fusing comprises both the fusing of an overall image-volume presentation rate and an image-volume sub-slice or subshell projection rate.

15. The display of claim 1 wherein at least one directional resolution is a few millimeters.

16. The display of claim 15 wherein said at least one directional resolution is about one millimeter.

17. The display of claim 16 wherein said at least one directional resolution is less than one millimeter.

18. The display of claim 1 wherein said at least one directional resolution is:

a) dependant upon a user setting, b) dependant upon an automatic adjustment, c) dependant upon depicted content, or d) variable and depending on image-volume spatial location.

19. The display of claim 1 wherein a single particulate or a spatial particulate-arrangement within an image volume is any of accelerated, decelerated, steered or rotated in any manner.

20. The display of claim 1 wherein two or more particulates in an emitted particulate arrangement are designed to interact in a display-beneficial manner such as by:

a) being attracted or repulsed by electrical charges on one or more of them, b) colliding or not colliding with each other.

21. The display of claim 1 wherein one or more particulates undergoes a change in electrical charge or a change in charge/mass ratio or becomes charged at any time for any duration including as by:

a) purposeful charging using a charging-electrode or tip;

b) purposeful charging using a triboelectric effect related to the particulate fluid'"'"'s emission process or emitter structure;

c) purposeful mass-change as by evaporation, vaporization or mass-accumulation to or from a surrounding image-volume ambient;

or

d) purposeful decharging or negating of an undesired triboelectric effect.

e) unavoidable triboelectric charging which may or may not be negated

22. The display of claim 1 wherein flowable particulate material is recirculated in any manner in any one or more physical state or states, including in a liquid or vapor state,

23. The display of claim 1 wherein a particulate material or media has at least one constituent vapor-pressure below room-ambient atmospheric pressure at a display image-volume operating temperature.

24. The display of claim 1 wherein an emitter orifice or orifice array any one or more of:

a) is formed using capillary-array techniques or materials;

b) is formed using photosensitive glass or ceramic techniques or materials;

c) is formed using any lithographic or MEMs technique or material;

d) is formed using electroforming techniques or materials;

e) is formed using mechanically drilled or laser drilled techniques or materials;

f) is formed with or conditioned to have at least one surface region of controlled particulate-media wettability or unwettability;

g) is formed with a drop-on-demand capability at at least one orifice;

h) is formed with two or more orifices having individually dedicated switchable electrodes, the electrodes being used for any purpose such as to manipulate particulate charge or drive an orifice heater element;

i) employs a piezomaterial to cause emission;

j) employs a transducer or transduction means of any type to cause emission;

k) employs an inkjet-like emission mechanism;

l) employs a phase-change or heating event to cause emission;

or

m) employs a particulate media phase change to cause emission-such as a vaporization event.

25. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) a projection or beam-writing means is substantially situated inside the image volume;

b) a projection or beam-writing means is substantially situated outside the image volume;

c) a projection or beam-writing means operates to project or write into the image volume through any type of optical window or port, open or otherwise;

d) a projection or beam-writing means projects or writes upon or into at least a screen surface at an impingement angle between 90 degrees and zero degrees at at least one moment at at least one screen position;

e) a projection or beam-writing means projects or writes through an emitter face or array;

f) a projection or beam-writing means projects or writes through a particulate catchment;

g) a projection or beam-writing means projects or writes through an image volume container or image-volume containment material;

or

h) a projection or beam-writing means projects or writes through at least some particulate media material, including such as media on a catchment or media within an emitter head.

26. The display of claim 1 wherein any one or more of:

a) an orifice has a diameter or characteristic aperture dimension between one micron and 100 microns, more preferably between 10 and 100 microns;

b) an orifice emission-plate has a grid or pattern, ordered or random, of multiple orifices;

c) two or more orifices are axially coaligned or arranged in an approximately axial-parallel manner;

d) an orifice comprises an extended lumen or conduit which has an axial length larger than its average diameter or aperture-width;

e) an orifice is any of tapered, radiused, of variable diameter or aperture-width, or is straight;

or

f) an orifice is at least one of wet-etched, plasma-etched, laser-etched, mechanically drilled or defined using lithography.

27. The display of claim 1 wherein an emission orifice emits a liquid or other flowable stream which subsequently breaks up or is broken up into one or more droplets or smaller media entities.

28. The display of claim 1 wherein an emission orifice emits substantially already-formed or defined droplets, said droplets possibly still having some degree of connection which may or may not be retained during later flight.

29. The display of claim 1 where two or more orifice'"'"'s emission is triggered or modulated:

a) using a common trigger signal;

b) using a common emission driving-force or pressure-pulse;

c) using a pressure-pulse which is sourced from a common or shared pressure-pulsing or pressurization means, the pulse possibly arriving at the two or more orifices at different propagation times;

d) at a rate of at least one projectable screen or surface per image-volume frame;

e) using a waveform, preferably a harmonic, periodic or pulsed waveform, to initiate emission of one or more particulates from at least one orifice;

f) using any type of waveform to regularize the droplet breakup behavior of an emitted orifice stream, by regularize meaning a less-random droplet arrangement is attained;

g) using any type of waveform which emits several droplets from at least one orifice, the several droplets defining a screen, surface or shell thickness;

h) by the operation of one or more orifice'"'"'s heaters;

i) by the operation of one or more orifice'"'"'s electrodes regardless of whether said electrode is dedicated or shared;

or

j) in accordance with a desired resolution or frame rate.

30. The display of claim 1 wherein the displayed content includes any one or more of

a) live or recorded 3-D video content or content presented as 3-D video;

b) 3-D images of objects that appear substantially stationary for an observable period;

c) any computed 3-D content, including a game scene, animation or computer-aided-design (CAD) model;

d) any 3-D likeness or images of a living being, whether human or animal;

e) 3-D views of a medical surgery, therapy or diagnostic procedure;

f) 3-D content presented for advertising purposes;

g) 3-D content presented for social interaction purposes;

h) 3-D content presented for a navigational or guidance purpose;

i) 3-D content presented in response to a search;

j) 3-D content presented for an educational purpose;

k) 3-D content presented for the therapy of the viewer;

l) 3-D content requested on-demand, said demand request made at any time, including when the viewer begins display use;

m) 3-D content which is magnified, scaled or otherwise shown at a size scale other than one-to-one or other than the standard or default scale, if any, shown on the display;

n) 3-D content which is depicted at one-to-one or at a true-size scale;

o) any 3-D content which is depicted along with 3-D or 2-D labels, text, markers, pointers or other notes;

p) any visible content, whether 3-D, 2-D or 3-D and 2-D combined with audio;

q) 3-D content which relates to a security or safety application;

r) 2-D content shown together with 3-D content or instead of 3-D content;

or

s) any 3-D content which is selected by or manipulated by a user or viewer.

31. The display of claim 1 wherein any of:

a) a user can manipulate image-content using at least one of a mouse, pointer, hand-gesturing means, spoken-command, keyboard, touchpad or joystick;

b) a user can manipulate image-content using touch or a haptic interface;

or

c) a user indirectly manipulates image-content because the display itself can track his/her motion and can adapt content-depiction to his/her physical position.

32. The display of claim 1 wherein the display is used together with a robotic manipulation means as a cooperative system, the display being used to one or more of guide, control or monitor the robot'"'"'s carrying out of a users desired manipulations or overall purpose, said robot carrying out manipulations to achieve the users overall purpose in a manner preferably substantially observable on said display by said user.

33. The display/robotic system of claim 32 wherein one or more of:

a) the robot manipulates a tool, device, sensor, work-article or instrument of any sort;

b) the robot manipulates an imaging-means of any sort, including a videocamera;

c) the robot is monitored by an imaging-means of any sort, including a videocamera;

d) the coupled robot is in the same location as the display or as the user of the system'"'"'s display-portion;

e) the coupled robot is in a different location than the display being observed by the user;

f) the robot and the display are both operated by the same user;

g) the robot reproduces, at least in part, a user'"'"'s hand or finger manipulations;

h) the robot substantially carries out the user'"'"'s manipulations or overall purpose upon any of a patient, living or deceased subject, living or deceased matter, workpiece, article of manufacture, article being tested or analyzed, hazardous material or upon the robot'"'"'s immediate or manipulatable environment;

or

i) the user'"'"'s hands or fingers and/or the robot'"'"'s manipulators or robot-held tools can be seen in the 3-D image.

34. The display/robotic system of claim 32 wherein any one or more of:

a) a patient is being surgically operated upon;

b) a patient is being medically or psychologically diagnosed;

or

c) a patient is receiving a medical therapy.

35. The display of claim 1 wherein the application purpose includes at least one of:

a) playing a game involving one or more users at one or more locations;

b) gaming or gambling;

c) mathematical, technical, financial, military or scientific simulation or modeling;

d) navigation of any type;

e) understanding or conveying complex data of any type;

f) socializing or conversing with actual or artificial persons or avatars;

g) training or education;

h) the presentation of objects, preferably photorealistically, for any reason including such as for advertising, shopping, selling, buying or auctioning;

i) the simulated visiting of a museum'"'"'s collection or other artifact of interest;

j) viewing or monitoring of a remote object, article, scene, subject, animal, person or property;

k) contributing to a communication between at least two persons, or between a person and a computer system, the communication being at least one of live or recorded;

l) tactical, military, space or aviation-related command and control;

m) any entertainment activity, entertaining meaning entertaining for at least one user and not necessarily of broad appeal;

n) visiting websites or connecting to servers with 3-D content;

or

o) administering any type of test to a living being.

36. The display of claim 1 wherein any part of a particulate formation or provision mechanism, emission mechanism, emission capillary, aperture or orifice utilizes any one or more of:

a) a porous or permeable layer or member used to distribute and/or emit emission material or to act as a rigidity-provider;

b) a porous or permeable layer or member which comprises porous or permeable ceramic, glass, or metal;

c) an orifice array or glass capillary array fabricated using fiber-optic fusing and/or etching methods;

d) a member from (a) or (b) laminated, joined, fused-to or otherwise juxtaposed to a member from (c);

e) any laser-etched orifice or aperture, preferably excimer laser-etched;

f) any plasma-etched or wet-etched orifice or aperture;

g) any aperture, orifice or capillary fabricated using any lithographic or MEMs based technique;

h) any electrode material or process which renders an emission member material or surface-layer semiconductive or conductive;

i) any electrode-film or electrode-interconnect which is orifice-dedicated or serves two or more orifices, the electrode film being formed in any manner and having or not having spatially defined interconnections therein;

j) any orifice-related heater or particulate charging-electrode which is orifice dedicated or serves two or more orifices;

k) any wettability-enhancing or wettability-minimizing measure such as to keep disruptive droplets of emission-media films from forming or hanging on an orifice face;

l) any charging or discharging electrode such as to add charge, remove charge or negate charge—

whether orifice dedicated or common to two or more orifices;

or

m) any photosensitive glass or ceramic such as laser-exposed and subsequently wet-etched glass.

37. The display of claim 1 wherein emitted particulates comprise flowable droplets or microdroplets and such droplets are small enough and/or wettable enough that their depositing upon an interior wettable image-volume surface results in their wet-out quickly enough that they are not visually or optically disruptive to the display user.

38. The display of claim 1 wherein any image-volume portion or other display interior-surface is rendered poorly-wettable, unwettable or uncondensing such as for the purpose of rendering an emitter-face unwettable or uncondensing by particulate flowable-media.

39. The display of claim 1 wherein any image-volume portion or other display interior-surface is heated, including for the purpose of evaporating otherwise optically-disruptive particulate which contacts or lands on it or to prevent such condensation thereof.

40. The display of claim 1 wherein one or more emitting orifices relies on particulate media flow-through and/or pressurization of a permeable or cellular material for its operation.

41. The display of claim 1 wherein a light-shield or light-mask is provided in or on the display for the purpose of blocking at least some light, whether direct or indirect, from a user'"'"'s eyes.

42. The display of claim 1 wherein a user uses or wears any type of headgear or eyewear to enable or enhance viewable contrast.

43. The display of claim 1 wherein the display'"'"'s operation involves the purposeful passage of at least some direct or indirect light through one or both of an emitter or catchment, said light possibly including projected or beam-written light or illumination or activation light.

44. The display of claim 1 wherein a transparent or translucent image-volume chamber through which content is viewed has any one or more of:

a) an antireflection coating or composition;

b) any coating or composition serving an optical purpose, including a polarized coating, antiglare coating or antifogging coating;

c) any coating or composition serving a particulate media wettability or nonwettability-control purpose;

d) any coating or composition which serves as a heater-element for purposes of warming any part of the display for any purpose;

e) any coating or composition which serves as a functional electrode supporting proper display operation or safety, including an electrical grounding coating;

f) any coating which is used because of its compatibility or better compatibility with an emitted particulate media than the chamber material itself;

g) a material composition, including a polymer, glass or ceramic, or

h) a structure which can support a pressure difference across its thickness

45. The display of claim 1 wherein the image-volume is isolated from the room-ambient by substantially a single-layer or interface of intervening material, that layer possibly also allowing for the maintenance of a different pressure and/or different composition in the image-volume than exists outside the image-volume in the room air ambient.

46. The display of claim 1 wherein the image volume ambient is approximately at ambient room pressure and:

a) an image is displayed in substantially static or stagnant air;

b) an image is displayed in substantially flowed-air;

c) particulate arrangement emission causes some amount of air-movement or drag which is accounted for in the design;

d) flowed image-volume air is exhausted, in whole or in part, to the room or outdoor ambient;

e) flowed image-volume air is recirculated, in whole or in part, within the display;

f) emitted particulates or droplets undergo slowing after emission and the slowing is accounted for in the design;

or

g) emitted particulates or droplets either evaporate or are caught by a catchment thereby avoiding unacceptable flooding of the viewing environment.

47. The display of claim 1 wherein the image-volume has a general shape which is any one or more of:

boxlike, cylindrical, tubular, spherical, pyramidal, cone-like, hemispherical, domed, ellipsoidal, cubic, an elongated shape, a wraparound shape or a curvilinear shape.

48. The display of claim 1 wherein at least the image-volume portion of the display can one or more of

a) sit on one or more of a desk, table or bench;

b) sit on a floor;

c) be mounted in a wall or faç

ade;

d) be mounted on an articulating arm;

e) be held in a lap or in the hands;

f) be connected or disconnected from another display-module such as to/from an electronics-containing or power-supply containing portion;

or

g) is shatter resistant.

h) provide a view of displayed matter from multiple observer positions

49. The display of claim 1 wherein emitted particulates, such as droplets or microdroplets, can have at least one of their characteristic emission-parameters changed for a user-beneficial purpose, at least one of automatically or by the user'"'"'s control, optionally including at least one of the following parameters:

a) a particulate diameter, average diameter, size-dimension or aspect-ratio;

b) a particulate-to-particulate spacing coming from one or more orifices;

c) a particulate minimum, average or maximum velocity;

d) the shape or orientation of an emitted arrangement

e) the thickness, opacity or translucency of an emitted screening-surface or object;

or

f) a particulate charge or charge-to-mass ratio

50. Displayable content for compatible use on the display system of claim 1, the content being delivered to the display in any one or more manners, including in physical media, wirelessly or by wire as from Internet, server or network downloads, the content including data necessary to project at least two projectable slices of at least one image-volume frame, the content optionally also including audio content to accompany visual, video or graphical content.

51. A volumetric 3-D display system for displaying one or more of at least some 3-D image, video, computer or graphical-content comprising

at least one image volume;

at least one image-projection or beam-writing means;

at least some hardware or software supporting at least one of;

content-related data-storage, data-transfer, data-formatting or operation-related image-volume ambient maintenance, particulate emission, particulate recirculation, display control, or the provision of power;

a means to form, introduce or release within or into at least one image volume, at least one optically projectable or beam-writable screening surface, the screening surface made up of an arrangement of particulate material or droplets for at least a projectable period;

the screening surface arranged to move within or be relocated in one or more image volumes as by at least one of (i) physical translation or rotation in the image volume or (ii) by being reformed at different locations in the image volume;

the moving or reformed screening-surface receiving at least one projected or beam-written image-slice selected in accordance with a spatial position the screen surface takes or will take within the image volume or volumes;

3-D visually fused visual content provided by the formation of multiple such screening surfaces with their appropriate projected or written image slices at different spatial positions within the one or more image-volumes over time; and

the system preferably also having an audio capability to at least play or control the playing of audio associated with visual content.

52. The volumetric 3-D display system of claim 51 wherein at least one projectable or beam-writable surface translates or rotates in an image volume at least in part because of its:

a) emission velocity and/or b) the forced motion of an image-volume ambient, including room-air or a gas which essentially drags or entrains released or emitted particulate or arrangements thereof and/or c) acceleration or deacceleration force(s) applied to particulate after emission or release.

53. The display system of claim 51 wherein one or more of:

a) a given screening-surface receives one image slice;

b) a given screening-surface receives multiple image slices at multiple spatial positions;

c) a screening-surface is any of flat, curvilinear, domed or faceted;

d) a screening-surface has a changing shape or orientation while it is in the image volume;

e) a screening-surface has a thickness generally along a projection direction that is less than a major dimension of the projectable or writable screen;

f) a screening-surface is formed with an approximate number of particulates or droplets defining its thickness such that it has an optical opacity to optical projections or beam-writing chosen to be between transparent and opaque and preferably of controlled translucency;

g) a projected or beamwritten image-slice has a slice shape substantially matching the shape of a projectable surface;

or

h) a projected image is substantially projected in a collimated manner upon any shape of projectable surface.

54. The display system of claim 51 wherein one or more of:

a) an image volume frame rate is between 24 and 200 frames per second;

b) a particulate or droplet velocity is between 0 and 200 meters per second;

c) the image volume ambient-pressure is sub-atmospheric;

or

d) the image volume ambient-pressure is approximately atmospheric and particulates are emitted or released into the air and/or are entrained by flowing or flowed air into which they are emitted or released.

55. The display system of claim 54 wherein the image volume frame rate is between 30 and 150 frames per second.

56. The display system of claim 55 wherein the image volume frame rate is between 60 and 120 frames per second.

57. The display system of claim 54 wherein the particulate or droplet velocity is between 5 and 100 meters per second.

58. The display system of claim 57 wherein the particulate or droplet velocity is between 5 and 60 meters per second.

59. The display system of claim 51 wherein projection is image-wise projection.

60. The display system of claim 51 wherein projection is image-wise and is done using, at least in part, a spatial light modulator, including a micromirror or an LCD-based spatial light modulator.

61. The display system of claim 51 wherein at least one light source supporting the projected images or data includes one or more of an LED, a gas or solid state laser of any type, an arc or discharge lamp, a halogen bulb or an incandescent bulb.

62. The display system of claim 51 wherein multiple different color light-sources are utilized sequentially or in parallel, including RGB or CYMK colors.

63. The display system of claim 51 wherein at least some color-depth is provided utilizing a PWM or pulse-width-modulation technique anywhere in the display architecture.

64. The display system of claim 51 wherein the moving emitted projection screens substantially pass from one face to another face or from one side to another side of the image volume.

65. The display system of claim 51 wherein the display system has a modular design, meaning that the system comprises at least two modules or parts which are wirelessly-connected, wire-connected or otherwise joined during operation by a connecting umbilical, lumen, utility cable or one or more fasteners.

66. Displayable content for compatible use on the display system of claim 51, the content being delivered to the display in any one or more manners, including in physical media, wirelessly or by wire as from internet, server or network downloads, the content including data necessary to project at least two projectable slices of at least one image-volume frame, the content optionally also including audio content to accompany visual, video or graphical content.

67. The display system of claim 51 wherein it is used together with or integrated with a robot or robotic manipulator, thereby constituting a 3-D display/robotic manipulation system.

68. The display/robotic manipulation system of claim 67 wherein the user can see his/her own manipulating finger, fingers, hand or hands or other body-part(s) in the displayed content, his/her hands or fingers actually being outside the display image-volume but being visually reproduced therein.

69. The display/robotic manipulation system of claim 67 wherein the user can see his/her own manipulating finger, fingers, hand or hands in the displayed content, his/her hands or fingers actually physically being inside the display image-volume.

70. The display/robotic manipulation system of claim 67 wherein the user manipulates actual or simulated tools in his/her hand(s)/finger(s), whether physically inside or outside the image volume of the display, and the user'"'"'s manipulation of the tool(s) is substantially reproduced by the robot and practiced by the robot upon a workpiece, article of manufacture, hazardous material or object, article being tested or inspected, or on a living being or patient.

71. The display/robotic manipulation system of claim 67 wherein the user sees in an image volume any likeness of a tool regardless of whether that imaged tool is any one or more of:

(a) an actual tool being manipulated by the robot, (b) an actual tool-like or tool-holding handgrip, fingergrip or control provided as a user-interface to input his/her desired manipulations, (c) a graphical icon-likeness representing a physical tool or its location.