3-d Toilet Seats: The New Medium For Three-dimensional Imaging

Nov. 23, 2011 - PRLog -- (PLANO, Texas) -- TOPSEAT™ International is focusing attention on a new use for an old technique, 3-D pictures. This time, the medium is … toilet seats.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, humans have been fascinated by two-dimensional objects that appear to be seen in three dimensions.

In the Baroque art period, the technique of perspective illusionism was known as trompe-l'œil (French, “deceive the eye”). Artists and architects still employ the technique today.

Three-dimensional (3-D) imaging was invented in 1838 by Sir Charles Wheatstone. He used two similar photographs to provide the illusion of depth. By 1900, stereogram postcards were popular in the United States. A stereoscope viewing device allowed the cards to be seen in apparent 3-D by presenting different images to each eye, taking advantage of our binocular vision.

The technology was updated in the 1940s with the advent of the View-Master device that loaded transparencies inset into a disk that rotated. These were popular into the 1950s, when the motion pictures industry began producing “3-D” movies that required the use of special glasses to view the effect.

Another 3-D advancement in the 1940s was lenticular printing, in which a material serving as thin array of lenses is placed over a specially made and carefully aligned print.  Different viewing angles reveal different image slices to each eye, producing the illusion of three dimensions, over a certain limited viewing angle. This technique remains popular today and is used for many products.

Since the late 1960s, IMAX Corporation of Canada has expanded its proprietary cinema projection system to more than 528 theaters in 46 countries. Movies are either filmed in the IMAX format (which requires special glasses to view), or are converted for viewing in IMAX theaters.

James Cameron’s 2009 3-D film “Avatar” won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction. It created a stampede of new 3-D films, like Warner Brothers’ “Happy Feet Two” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” that are shown in regular theaters and viewed with special glasses.

These films complement the active marketing of 3-D novelties, toys, and other objects such as the 3-D toilet seat from TOPSEAT™.


There have been a variety of “3-D” toilet seats sold on the aftermarket for replacement of OEM seats. Many of these seats are actual three-dimensional objects, with objects embedded, at different depths, in clear polyresin, an environmentally-harmful hydrocarbon compound.

Few retail outlets stock any type of 3-D or specialty toilet seats. Most consumers turn to the Internet and sites such as http://www.topseatusa.com

TOPSEAT is the U.S.’ largest supplier of colorful, spectacular, 3-D picture toilet seats. The TOPSEAT 3-D toilet seat is made from sturdy MDF wood in a variety of colors.

3-D designs are chosen for their appeal to the U.S. consumer. One of the most popular is a detailed full-face photo of a tiger. The 3-D effect can be simulated on the web by slightly animating a static picture. (The photo on the seat does not move!)

Each TOPSEAT product is finished to the highest standards of quality and TOPSEAT has been awarded ISO9001:2008 Quality Management certification by UKAS. This achievement is international recognition of the quality of TOPSEAT products, services, operations and production management.

Toilet seat hinges are of sturdy metal, with optional safe and gentle closing, and are chromed or nickel-plated to match most bathroom fixtures.

The seats are available to fit U.S. standard 16.5” round or 18.5” elongated bowls with standard 5.5” mounting hole placement.

ABOUT TOPSEAT

Since 2003, TOPSEAT  has been an innovator in toilet seat technology:

TOPSEAT  re-invented the toddler training seat with a new magnetic closure. The new TinyHiney Potty™ has a slow-close hinge and a 3-D picture of a penguin family.

TOPSEAT  was the world’s first toilet seat company to use beautiful, environmentally-friendly bamboo.

TOPSEAT has patents pending on our new eco-friendly Glaxitz™ plexiglass-coated seats. The amazingly smooth, easy-to-clean crystal clear acrylic glass resists stains and abrasions. The finish also provides enhanced visual depth and clarity for display of 2-D images.

TOPSEAT products are available online at http://glaxitz.com or on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_seeall_1?rh=k%3ATopseat...