3D content has often been associated with inconvenience. Enjoying it typically required specialized equipment such as 3D glasses or head-mounted displays (HMDs). Imperfections in the delivery of 3D images caused crosstalk, potentially leading to dizziness. These discomforts would chip away the immersion of 3D content.

Samsung Electronics is changing that narrative with the introduction of the Odyssey 3D (G90XF) — a finely tuned glasses-free 3D gaming monitor. Featuring eye-tracking and view-mapping technology, the Odyssey 3D marks a paradigm shift in immersive viewing and gaming experiences.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with Donghwa Lim from the Enterprise R&D Lab and Taekwan Lee from the Product Innovation Lab, both part of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics, to discuss how the Odyssey 3D is redefining perceptions of 3D.

▲ Donghwa Lim and Taekwan Lee break down the Odyssey 3D’s technology and components.

The Three Core Technologies Behind Odyssey 3D

3D displays create a sense of dimension using binocular disparity, in which the brain perceives depth by processing the slightly different images seen by each eye. Leveraging this principle, the Odyssey 3D delivers a glasses-free 3D experience by precisely presenting different images to each eye without the need for external equipment. The eye-tracking technology is designed to recognize users’ eyes even when they are wearing glasses.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to bring to market a technology that once seemed out of reach.”
— Donghwa Lim, Samsung Electronics

At the heart of the Odyssey 3D are three key technologies — eye tracking, view mapping and a lenticular lens.

▲ Odyssey 3D features a myriad of technologies to deliver an immersive, glasses-free 3D experience

Eye tracking is enabled by a stereo camera mounted at the top of the monitor, detecting and tracking the user’s eye movements in real time.

“Because the two cameras capture different images, much like human eyes, they can determine the exact position of the user’s eyes and distance between the eyes and the monitor in real time,” said Lim. “This real-time eye position detection allows us to deliver a precise 3D image, even when the user moves.”

▲ (From left) View mapping and the lenticular lens

Based on this data, the system calculates the correct pixel positioning for each eye and reconstructs a single image through a process called view mapping. The final mapped images are then separately delivered to each eye through the lenticular lens, allowing the images from the display panels to be visible to each eye by utilizing light refraction.

What’s more, the Odyssey 3D isn’t limited to 3D gameplay alone. Since the Odyssey 3D was developed as a gaming monitor, it performs exceptionally well in terms of picture quality and response speed, even when used for 2D gameplay. The lenticular lens activates only when a 3D mode is enabled by Odyssey 3D Hub.

Minimizing Crosstalk With Samsung’s Advanced Display Technology

While 3D effects offer new levels of immersion, even minor visual inconsistencies can disrupt the experience. Samsung has dedicated significant resources to ensuring premium 3D visuals.

“Crosstalk occurs when the images perceived by the left and right eyes aren’t properly aligned,” said Lim. “It can lead to dizziness and other visual discomforts, so we developed several techniques to reduce it.”

▲ Donghwa Lim, Enterprise R&D Lab, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, explains how technologies were meticulously put together to minimize crosstalk

“Even the slightest misalignments during the production or assembly of camera and display components can affect image accuracy,” he noted. “To address this, Samsung applies post-assembly calibration for both the camera and display panel and stores unit-specific data into a dedicated chip inside the monitor.”

In addition to hardware calibration, the Odyssey 3D features a deep learning-based eye-tracking algorithm and a specially engineered display cell coating designed to reduce light distortion and glare — all contributing to minimizing crosstalk and delivering a refined 3D experience.

Driving 3D Gaming Innovation Through Industry Partnerships

The true strength of the Odyssey 3D comes to life during gameplay. Samsung has made high-quality 3D gaming content available through Odyssey 3D Hub — a Windows-based 3D content platform that also supports the conversion of 2D photos and videos into 3D.

“When industry-leading companies join forces, the benefits are ultimately passed on to gamers.”
— Taekwan Lee, Samsung Electronics

To bring immersive and personalized gaming experiences to users, Samsung is actively collaborating with industry partners to optimize games for glasses-free 3D.

▲ Taekwan Lee, Product Innovation Lab, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, explains that cross-industry efforts are key in expanding the 3D market

Joint efforts are also underway to expand 3D gaming content.

“Game developers are constantly exploring ways to offer new experiences to users,” said Lee. “One of those directions is 3D gaming.”

While the 3D gaming market is still emerging, Lee emphasized that industry-wide collaboration is key to accelerating its growth.

“The First Berserker: Khazan” — a recently published game developed by Nexon Korea and Neople — stands as a notable example of how 3D immersion can come to life through collaboration with Samsung during development.

“Through this partnership, Nexon, Neople and Samsung have been working closely to tailor the 3D visuals, carefully adjusting them based on the composition of characters and backgrounds. We ensured that everything from scene-specific factors to cinematic transitions could be presented more vividly on Odyssey 3D monitor,” he explained.

▲ A scene from “The First Berserker: Khazan”

“Creating effects like drifting particles, fast-moving flames and cinematic cutscenes¹ was technically challenging, but I’m proud of what we achieved through teamwork,” Lee added. “In particular, the snowy mountain scene in Khazan gives the impression that snowflakes are flying directly toward the player when played on the Odyssey 3D. It’s an experience I would strongly recommend trying firsthand.”

“Our research is a journey to connect users to the future.”
— Taekwan Lee, Samsung Electronics

With the Odyssey 3D, Samsung is elevating the gaming experience to new levels of immersion.

“We are in discussions with local and global game developers to expand the 3D gaming market,” he emphasized. “Our goal is to collaborate with more developers to bring a broader range of 3D games to users. When industry-leading companies join forces, the benefits are ultimately passed on to gamers.”

From Impossible to Possible: Leading the Future of 3D Monitors

Lim reflected on how far technology has come over the past decade.

“Way back when I first joined Samsung, I attended a meeting on 3D technology where the lenticular lens was deemed ‘not feasible’ with existing technology,” he said. “Now, years later, we’ve not only made it possible, but we’ve also brought it to market. It’s incredibly remarkable and deeply rewarding to see a product launch built on technology that once seemed out of reach.”

▲ Donghwa Lim and Taekwan Lee are excited about the market potential of 3D content and monitors

“Our research to create new experiences is a journey to connect users to the future. The Odyssey 3D marks the beginning of a new era in expanding the boundaries of technology-driven experiences,” said Lee. “Games played on the Odyssey 3D are sure to deliver a ‘wow’ factor — not just at specific moments, but throughout the entire experience.”

As Samsung continues to lead the gaming monitor market, the Odyssey 3D stands as a powerful example of how the company is redefining immersive experiences and pushing the limits of display innovation.

* This article has been updated for accuracy.

¹ Short storytelling clips shown between stages during gameplay.

Samsung Electronics today announced a partnership with game developers Nexon Korea and Neople to deliver unparalleled 3D experiences in the upcoming game ‘The First Berserker: Khazan.’ The game’s 3D elements are being specially customized and designed during development, utilizing Samsung technology and the advanced capabilities of the Odyssey 3D monitor to create an immersive 3D gaming experience.

Through this partnership, Nexon, Neople and Samsung have been working closely to tailor the 3D visuals, carefully adjusting them based on the composition of characters, backgrounds and cinematics throughout the game. This process gives the developers an unprecedented level of control over the 3D effects, enabling them to bring their creative visions to life with precision.

“The partnership between Samsung and Nexon will provide an unmatched gaming experience with ‘The First Berserker: Khazan’ on the Odyssey 3D monitor,” said Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’ll continue to expand partnerships with premium gaming companies across the globe to deliver 3D gaming technology that provides the highest level of gaming immersion.”

By fine-tuning the focal distance for 3D effects on a case-by-case basis, Nexon and Neople aim to develop specific scenarios that determine when and how elements become 3D. These efforts reduce crosstalk — a common issue causing visual overlap — while enhancing the clarity of epic boss battles and cinematic cutscenes.

“This partnership marks a significant step in establishing a competitive 3D gaming model on a global scale, driving innovation across the whole industry,” said Choi Sung-wook, head of the publishing live division at Nexon. “We are excited for gamers worldwide to experience the vibrant graphics and intricate gameplay of ‘The First Berserker: Khazan,’ made possible by the cutting-edge technologies available to our developers and the industry-leading Samsung Odyssey gaming monitor.”

‘The First Berserker: Khazan’ is a hardcore action RPG (role playing game) where players experience Khazan’s legendary journey firsthand, immersing themselves in the world of Nexon’s leading franchise — the Dungeon & Fighter Universe. The game is set for global release on March 28 KST.

The Odyssey 3D, unveiled at CES 2024 and recognized with the prestigious Best of Innovation award, will launch worldwide in April, delivering groundbreaking 3D technology that elevates gaming for players globally.

With significant market growth in high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), 5/6G connectivity and automotive applications, demand for advanced semiconductors has increased dramatically, making innovation in semiconductor process technology critical to the business success of foundry customers. To that end, Samsung highlighted its commitment to bringing its most advanced process technology, 1.4-nanometer (nm), for mass production in 2027.

During the event, Samsung also outlined steps its Foundry Business is taking in order to meet customers’ needs, including: △foundry process technology innovation, △process technology optimization for each specific applications, △stable production capabilities and △customized services for customers.

▲ Dr. Siyoung Choi, president and head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics, is giving his keynote speech at Samsung Foundry Forum 2022.

“The technology development goal down to 1.4nm and foundry platforms specialized for each application, together with stable supply through consistent investment are all part of Samsung’s strategies to secure customers’ trust and support their success,” said Dr. Siyoung Choi, president and head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics. “Realizing every customer’s innovations with our partners has been at the core of our foundry service.”

Showcasing Samsung’s Advanced Node Roadmap Down to 1.4nm in 2027

With the company’s success of bringing the latest 3nm process technology to mass production, Samsung will be further enhancing gate-all-around (GAA) based technology and plans to introduce the 2nm process in 2025 and 1.4nm process in 2027.

While pioneering process technologies, Samsung is also accelerating the development of 2.5D/3D heterogeneous integration packaging technology to provide a total system solution in foundry services.

Through continuous innovation, its 3D packaging X-Cube with micro-bump interconnection will be ready for mass production in 2024, and bump-less X-Cube will be available in 2026.

▲ Dr. Siyoung Choi, president and head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics, is giving his keynote speech at Samsung Foundry Forum 2022.

Proportion of HPC, Automotive and 5G To Be More Than 50% by 2027

Samsung actively plans to target high-performance and low-power semiconductor markets such as HPC, automotive, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT).

To better meet customers’ needs, customized and tailored process nodes were introduced during this year’s Foundry Forum. Samsung will enhance its GAA-based 3nm process support for HPC and mobile, while further diversifying the 4nm process specialized for HPC and automotive applications.

For automotive customers specifically, Samsung is currently providing embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) solutions based on 28nm technology. In order to support automotive-grade reliability, the company plans to further expand process nodes by launching 14nm eNVM solutions in 2024 and adding 8nm eNVM in the future. Samsung has been mass producing 8nm RF following 14nm RF, and 5nm RF is currently in development.

‘Shell-First’ Operation Strategy To Respond to Customer Needs in a Timely Manner

Samsung plans to expand its production capacity for the advanced nodes by more than three times by 2027 compared to this year.

Including the new fab under construction in Taylor, Texas, Samsung’s foundry manufacturing lines are currently in five locations: Giheung, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek in Korea; and Austin and Taylor in the United States.

At the event, Samsung detailed its ‘Shell-First’ strategy for capacity investment, building cleanrooms first irrespective of market conditions. With cleanrooms readily available, fab equipment can be installed later and set up flexibly as needed in line with future demand. Through the new investment strategy, Samsung will be able to better respond to customers’ demands.

Investment plans in a new ‘Shell-First’ manufacturing line in Taylor, following the first line announced last year, as well as potential expansion of Samsung’s global semiconductor production network were also introduced.

Expanding the SAFE Ecosystem To Strengthen Customized Services

Following the ‘Samsung Foundry Forum,’ Samsung will hold the ‘SAFE Forum’ (Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem) on October 4th. New foundry technologies and strategies with ecosystem partners will be introduced encompassing areas such as Electronic Design Automation (EDA), IP, Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), Design Solution Partner (DSP) and the Cloud.

In addition to 70 partner presentations, Samsung Design Platform team leaders will introduce the possibility of applying Samsung’s processes such as Design Technology Co-Optimization for GAA and 2.5D/3DIC.

As of 2022, Samsung provides more than 4,000 IPs with 56 partners, and is also cooperating with nine and 22 partners in the design solution and EDA, respectively. It also offers cloud services with nine partners and packaging services with 10 partners.

Along with its ecosystem partners, Samsung provides integrated services that support solutions from IC design to 2.5D/3D packages.

Through its robust SAFE ecosystem, Samsung plans to identify new fabless customers by strengthening customized services with improved performance, rapid delivery and price competitiveness, while actively attracting new customers such as hyperscalers and start-ups.

Starting in the United States (San Jose) on October 3rd, the ‘Samsung Foundry Forum’ will be sequentially held in Europe (Munich, Germany) on the 7th, Japan (Tokyo) on the 18th and Korea (Seoul) on the 20th, through which customized solutions for each region will be introduced. A recording of the event will be available online from the 21st for those who were unable to attend in person.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, held its 3^rd Annual Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE^TM) Forum 2021 virtually today.

With the theme of ‘Performance Platform 2.0: Innovation, Intelligence, Integration’, Samsung and its foundry ecosystem partners prepared 7 plenary talks and 76 technology sessions focused on three main topics: Gate-All-Around (GAA, Innovation), Artificial Intelligence (AI, Intelligence) and 2.5D/3D (Integration) technologies and the diverse design infrastructures required for high-performance applications.

“In the rapidly changing data-centric era, Samsung and its foundry partners have made great strides responding to increasing customers demand and to support their success by providing powerful solutions,” said Ryan Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Foundry Design Platform Development at Samsung Electronics. “With the support of our SAFE program, Samsung will lead the realization of the vision ‘Performance Platform 2.0’.”

Starting with a keynote live streaming on November 17, attendees are able to explore a variety of tech sessions and engage with ecosystem partners through the virtual SAFE Forum platform for a month. To register for SAFE forum, please visit https://www.samsungfoundry.com.

SAFE 2021: Performance Platform 2.0

Samsung has concentrated on expanding its foundry ecosystem by focusing on IP, Electronic Design Automation (EDA), Cloud, Design Solution Partner (DSP) and Package solutions necessary for today’s data-driven era. Samsung introduced today its latest SAFE^TM program including:

• SAFE^TM-IP & EDA: Samsung and its foundry ecosystem have reserved over 3,600 IPs and 80 certified EDA tools respectively. These are developed and verified based on the high-standard certification program run by Samsung and participated in by our partners. In order to respond to the demands of high performance applications, Samsung’s foundry ecosystem has developed not only HPC-specific foundation IPs including standard cell libraries and memory compilers but also key IPs, such as over 100Gbps Serializer-Deserializer (SerDes) interface and 2.5D/3D multi-die integration solutions.
  
  With our EDA partners, Samsung has secured design tools optimized for its unique 3-nanometer (nm) GAA process technology and design methodology for integrating multiple dies in 2.5D/3D. Customers can also utilize AI- and machine learning-based EDA technology to systematically manage and analyze design data. To overcome the increasing difficulties of chip design and analysis, Samsung has strengthened cooperation with partners to develop EDA tools and related technologies, such as incorporating GPUs that can efficiently use computing resources required for chip verification.

• SAFE^TM-OSAT: Samsung plans to lead ‘beyond-Moore’ technologies by strengthening various package line-ups such as 2.5D/3D through the expansion of its SAFE-Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) ecosystem. The recent announcement of the co-development of Hybrid-Substrate Cube (H-Cube) solution, which offers efficient integration of 6 HBMs and cost benefit, is one of the successful examples of Samsung foundry’s collaboration with the OSAT community.

• SAFE^TM-Cloud Design Platform: SAFE^TM-CDP, the cloud-based one-stop design platform introduced last year, now supports a hybrid cloud function that can be linked to customers’ conventional design environments.

• SAFE^TM-DSP: Through the SAFE^TM-DSP ecosystem, Samsung and its global partners can actively support global fabless companies to implement their design ideas into custom product by utilizing cutting-edge process technologies as well as high-performance, low-power chip design knowledge.

[Quote from SAFE^TM Partner companies]

• Ansys, Ajei Gopal, CEO

“Today’s chips demand a full multiphysics approach, which requires engineering simulation. Ansys is proud to partner with Samsung to deliver a comprehensive multi-physics analysis flow for Samsung’s multi-die integration initiative. The benefits to joint customers, to the industry – and to the entire world – are tremendous. Semiconductors will drive innovations as varied as autonomous and electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and mobile technologies, including 5G and beyond.”

• Arm, Simon Segars, CEO

“Our longstanding partnership with Samsung Foundry has been essential for growing business opportunities in many markets for our combined partner ecosystem. This close collaboration continues as we work together to optimize our Armv9 next-generation processors on Samsung Foundry’s leading-edge processes, including GAA, to deliver a best-in-class solution that is optimized for the world of today, and the technologies of tomorrow. Together, we are unlocking new opportunities across HPC, Automotive, AI, and IoT, while also managing rising complexities, enabling faster time to market.”

• Cadence, Lip-Bu Tan, CEO

“The Cadence Intelligent System Design strategy is very well-aligned with Samsung Foundry’s Performance Platform 2.0 with common themes of innovation, pervasive intelligence and integrated solutions. Together, we’re enabling customers to develop and deliver innovative, breakthrough products using Samsung’s most advanced process and packaging technologies, and we look forward to continuing our work with Samsung Foundry to accelerate design successes”

• Siemens EDA, A. J. Incorvaia, Senior Vice President

“The Samsung SAFE event provides an exceptionally valuable venue for the Samsung Foundry ecosystem to meet, share information and identify opportunities to fully leverage Samsung’s cutting-edge process technologies. Siemens EDA looks forward to this year’s Samsung SAFE event and the many opportunities it presents for collaborating with customers and partners to eliminate design obstacles and enhance silicon success.”

• Synopsys, Sassine Ghazi, president and COO

“We see exciting times ahead as software and chip technology come together to create world-changing new products,” said Sassine Ghazi, president and COO of Synopsys. “We have strong programs with Samsung Foundry on 3nm gate-all-around enablement, broad IP certification, AI-assisted chip design and 2.5/3D multi-die design to name just a few. We welcome the strong collaboration opportunities offered by the Samsung SAFE initiative.”

“We are thrilled to share that TetraVue has officially closed its largest round of funding to date,” said Paul Banks, Founder and President of TetraVue. “Our passionate team has dedicated their careers to researching and developing the technology that TetraVue is today and we plan to use this financial support to continue to deliver state of the art 3D vision technology to enable smart vision for smarter machines.”

TetraVue intends to make collecting high resolution 3D data and imagery simple and cost effective as autonomous cars become a reality within the next few years. It has been developing partnerships with car manufacturers, auto AI software developers, and other hardware makers to be an intricate part of what can only be described as the “eyes and brain” of self-driving vehicles.

“TetraVue is unparalleled to any other existing technologies in the three-dimensional Flash LIDAR space,” said Luis Llovera, Bosch Ventures Managing Director. “We see its technology as being key to the enhancement and development of the autonomous car industry, which will be the future of transportation as we know it.”

TetraVue’s Ultra High Definition resolution helps robust identification of unexpected and dangerous obstacles at 100s of meters that is not being done on cars today—and needed to reach true autonomy. As on-board computers will make split second decisions to adapt to road conditions and react to the unexpected, car vision and LIDAR systems will have to determine at a safe distance what the nature of the obstacle is accurately and instantly; distance alone scanned a few points at a time is insufficient. “TetraVue’s LIDAR gives cars perfect vision, and allows them to make better decisions” says Connie Sheng, Founding Managing Director at Nautilus Venture Partners. “Imagine the car being able to instantly determine if a black spot is a rock or a plastic bag.” Beyond distance, used as the current benchmark for LIDAR performance, high definition is the critical element to ensure optimal safety and operation on the roads.

For more information on how TetraVue works, its products for Vision for Things (VfT), and its plans for future developments, please visit: http://www.tetravue.com

About TetraVue

Founded in 2008, TetraVue’s Ultra High Resolution products take an entirely new approach to Flash LIDAR technology and is a product of several years of experimental research. TetraVue’s technology results in 2 million or more simultaneous distance measurements of ranges—greater than 200 meters in any weather conditions and utilizes orders of magnitude less power than competitors. This performance is optimal for the autonomous car industry, and TetraVue plans to miniaturize and commercialize its fully functioning prototype. As the visualization needs of businesses and consumers become more sophisticated, increasingly complex machines require a 3D depth vision for maximal efficiency. TetraVue’s 3D camera will also play a large role across industries such as enterprise level mapping and augmented reality.

About RBVC GmbH

Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business. Additional information is available at: www.rbvc.com