The optical systems division of 3M on Monday said it will soon sell a newly developed 3D optical film for handheld devices that will let users view stereoscopic 3D images on handhelds without having to wear 3D glasses. Vikuiti uses directional backlight technology to send and focus left and right images sequentially into the viewer’s eyes. This allows for full resolution to be displayed for each eye. It only requires one LCD panel and operates at a fast 120Hz refresh rate that more naturally mimics what the human eye sees.

The backlight module is easy to integrate, as it is nearly identical to existing systems; a standard optical film stack can be replaced by a reflective film, custom light guide and 3D film at the production stage. 3M will show its 3D display for mobile concept at the Korea Electronics Show, which starts on October 13th, but hasn't said how soon it expects the technology to reach shipping devices.