David Fattal, Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer at Leia – Interview Series

-

David Fattal is the CEO and founder at Leia, the leading provider of glasses-free 3D display hardware and software solutions. He previously spent nine years at HP Labs working on various points of quantum computing and photonics, and specializing within the manipulation of sunshine on the nanoscale. He holds a PhD in Physics from Stanford University and a BS in theoretical physics from Ecole Polytechnique, France.

Fattal holds over 100 granted patents and was featured on the 2013 list of 35 Innovator under 35 by the MIT technology Review. He co-authored the text-book “Single Photon Devices and Applications” and was awarded the French National Order of Merit in 2014 for developing the “Diffractive Lightfield Backlighting” concept.

As a former research scientist at HP Labs within the Quantum Science Research Team and a specialist in Nano-Photonics, are you able to share some key highlights out of your experience?

During my time at HP Labs, I focused on the intersection of quantum computing and nano-photonics, exploring how light manipulation on the nanoscale could revolutionize communication technologies. A key highlight was Project Leia, where we developed diffractive light field backlighting technology and advanced the sphere of 3D displays beyond traditional methods. This work laid the muse for the progressive display technologies we now use at Leia Inc.

What inspired the inception of Project Leia, and the way did a likelihood remark during a fireplace drill at HP Labs result in the invention of using nano-structures for creating holographic images?

Project Leia drew inspiration from technologies utilized in the sphere of optical interconnects, which deals with replacing electrical signals with light signals inside computer chips. During a fireplace drill at HP Labs, I noticed the intricate patterns formed by light passing through certainly one of our “light on a chip” prototypes. This remark led to using nano-structures to intentionally bend light similarly, ultimately enabling the creation of holographic images. This serendipitous moment sparked the event of the diffractive light-field backlighting technology central to Leia Inc.

How does Leia Inc.’s technology convert 2D experiences into immersive 3D experiences on any device?

Leia Inc.’s technology leverages advanced optics and AI to rework 2D experiences into 3D. 

  • Our LeiaSR optical technology can upgrade any personal device screen and provides it the flexibility to send different images to the viewer’s left and right eyes, thereby making a high-quality 3D effect. The 3D optics will be switched off on demand, allowing standard 2D content to display at full resolution. 
  • Our Neural Depth Technology, powering the Immersity AI platform, can convert any 2D picture or video into 3D. Users don’t have to have a 3D display to see the results of the conversion.
  • The mix of screen conversion and content conversion gives us this unique ability to create immersive 3D experiences today on any familiar device, from cell phones to computer monitors.

How does the Neural Depth Engine within the Immersity AI platform contribute to generating precise depth maps for 3D content?

The Neural Depth Engine is a state-of-the-art neural network fine-tuned on tens of millions of 3D images collected by Leia-equipped devices in the sphere. Because of this proprietary training dataset, it will possibly create very precise depth maps from 2D images.  

The higher your depth maps are, the higher results you get in applications like smartphone photo enhancements and 3D imaging. In case you’re conversant in the background blur (bokeh) portrait mode, you then might need an unknown appreciation for depth maps.

Depth maps are also used for things like photogrammetry, creating 3D models of real-world objects from multiple photographs, and will also be utilized in medical imaging.

What industries may benefit essentially the most from Leia Inc.’s 2D-to-3D conversion technology, and the way?

Several industries can profit significantly from our 2D-to-3D conversion technology. Social media creators and influencers can enhance their content by offering more engaging experiences that connect them with their community. The media and promoting industry can create more charming advertisements that stand out from their competition. Filmmakers and game developers can provide audiences with a richer and more immersive visual experience. Moreover, the design industry, including image and video editing professionals, can use our technology so as to add depth and dimension to their projects, leading to more compelling and dynamic visuals.

How does the 3D overlay technology utilized by Leia Inc. be certain that 2D image quality shouldn’t be compromised when the 3D mode is inactive?

We designed our 3D overlay technology to be non-intrusive. When the 3D mode is inactive, the nanostructures used for 3D rendering grow to be virtually invisible, maintaining the unique 2D image quality with none degradation.

Are you able to describe a real-world application or project where Leia Inc.’s 3D technology has been successfully implemented?

We’re powering ZTE’s first mobile 3D tablet, the Nubia Pad, released in 2023, and Acer’s first skilled creator 3D laptop, released the identical yr.

How does Leia Inc. collaborate with firms like ACER and ZTE to integrate their 3D display technology into consumer devices?

We closely collaborate with firms like ACER and ZTE by providing our 3D hardware and software solutions, technical support, and integration services. This partnership ensures that our 3D technology is seamlessly embedded into their devices, offering consumers a singular and enhanced user experience.

How does Leia Inc. ensure user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration of their 3D technology for on a regular basis consumers and professionals alike?

We prioritize intuitive design and user experience in our technology development. Our SDKs and software tools are easy to integrate, with extensive documentation and support for developers. Our interfaces are straightforward for consumers, ensuring seamless and user-friendly switching between 2D and 3D modes.

What future developments can we expect from Leia Inc. in the sphere of 3D display technology and immersive AI experiences?

Leia Inc. is constantly innovating. Future developments will deal with enhancing our AI algorithms for much more realistic 3D conversions, expanding our device compatibility, and exploring recent applications within the mobile and prolonged reality (XR) space. We aim to make immersive 3D experiences more accessible and impactful across various industries.

ASK ANA

What are your thoughts on this topic?
Let us know in the comments below.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Share this article

Recent posts

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x