[Paper] Relationship Between Optical Efficiency and Temperature Increase in Aerial Heater Optical System by Use of Retro-Reflector and Punched Metal Beam Splitter

We propose an aerial heater optical system that enhances the realism and operability of interactive aerial displays by providing thermal sensation at the aerial image position. The system is based on aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR) by use of a punched metal beam splitter and an aluminum-coated corner cube array to converge far-infrared radiation (FIR) from a heat source. Ray-tracing simulation confirms the principle and quantifies the optical efficiency based on structural parameters such as the hole diameter, pitch, and thickness of the punched metal, and the prism size of the retro-reflector. A prototype has been developed and indicates a strong correlation between the simulated optical efficiency and the measured temperature increase.