3D technology seems very high-tech. Yet, with some simple techniques, visitors to KID Museum were able to turn 2D into 3D with no trouble at all.
Xiao Deng, a guest researcher in Physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, hosted the 3D drop-in activity at KID Museum this past weekend. Researcher Lijun from the Food and Drug Administration and graduate student, Mei, were also there to assist. To create a pair of 3D glasses, kids placed a piece of red and blue filter sheet into each lens of pre-cut frames. The kids then got to test out their 3D glasses by viewing images that were projected on the wall. Dolphins and monuments appeared before their eyes as if they were jumping off the wall…literally!
Xiao also showed kids how to create a hologram pyramid that could transform a regular video into a 3D floating image. The kids cut out four, 3-inch plastic triangles and taped them together to create a pyramid. Next, Xiao placed his phone, playing a video of four plane images rotating in a circle, horizontally above the pyramid. Once he had his phone in place, a 3D plane magically appeared inside of the pyramid. The video reflects into the pyramid to create this 3D image. It was interesting to see and many parents were also amazed to see the spinning image within the pyramid. The 3D glasses and hologram activity was a unique experience for kids to get the chance to work with three-dimensional technology.
