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 tounify a virtual and a real workbench. The virtual workbench has been enabled todisplay computer graphics beyond its projection boundaries and to combine virtualenvironments with the to that allow indirect interaction with virtual objects through the mirror. Furthermore, the optical distortion that is caused by the half-silvered mirrorcombiner is analyzed, and techniques are presented to compensate for this distortion.