New angle on LCD

Sharp has developed the Triple Directional Viewing LCD, a display that controls the viewing angle so it can show different images from the left, right, and centre simultaneously.

Last year, Sharp launched the two-way viewing-angle LCD and the switchable viewing-angle LCD, which are already in use in products like car navigation systems and mobile phones.

Sharp Triple Directional Viewing LCD takes this controlled viewing-angle technology a step further. Using a proprietary parallax barrier on a standard TFT LCD, the screen splits light in three directions and displays three separate images on the same screen at the same time.

The technology would allow, for example, a vehicle driver to use a navigation system, the passenger to surf the internet, and someone in the back seat to watch a DVD.

Sharp Triple Directional Viewing LCD could also be used in advertising, displaying three different advertisements for shops or restaurants, each aimed at people walking in a certain direction.