Taiwan`s ITRI Teams Up With Japanese and Korean Institutes to Develop 3D Image Technologies

Taiwan`s government-funded ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) recently announced an alliance with Japan`s URCF (Ultra-Realistic Communications Forum) and Korea`s ARMI (Association of Realistic Media Industry), which will focus on development of 3D (3-dimension) image and animation sectors in the three countries.

ITRI noted that 3D image technologies have been increasingly important and popular in the world in recent years, as some international organizations, like DVD Forum, a multinational organization created to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas about the DVD format, have been dedicated to research and development of 3D image formats and related standards.

At the moment, several advanced countries in Europe, North America and Asia have heavily planned to bolster development of their local sectors related to 3D image technologies. To help Taiwanese companies meet the newest trend, ITRI last year formed an alliance composed of local display panel makers and 3D system developers to work on 3D technologies, and this year signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan`s URCF and Korea` AMRI to jointly hold an industrial forum, called International Conference of 3D systems and Applications (3DSA), annually starting 2009. The forum is expected to become an open platform for Asian companies operating on 3D image technology to exchange the newest ideas and improve the technology.

Also, ITRI has held a series of demonstrations of products based on 3D technologies developed by local and foreign companies, including Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., AU Optronics Corp., Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., Philips and Dynamic Digital Depth.

By Steve Chuang, CNES