The Extended Virtual Table: An Optical Extension for Table-Like Projection Systems

A prototype of an optical extension for table-like rear-projection systems is described. A large, half-silvered mirror beam splitter is used as the optical combiner to unify a virtual and a real workbench. The virtual workbench has been enabled to display computer graphics beyond its projection boundaries and to combine virtual environments with the adjacent real world. A variety of techniques are described and referred to that allow indirect interaction with virtual objects through the mirror. Furthermore, the optical distortion that is caused by the half-silvered mirror combiner is analyzed, and techniques are presented to compensate for this distortion.