Sony will later this week unveil a prototype 3D display that can be seen through 360 degrees without the need to wear special glasses.

The display, few details of which are currently available, will premiere on Thursday at the Digital Contents Expo in Tokyo. The display is cylindrical so it can be viewed from all sides and is 13 centimeters in diameter. The display and its case is 27 centimeters tall.

Sony envisages the display will be used in exhibitions and public areas for advertising or to relay information or used in the home to display 3D photos and other images. However, the screen in the prototype only supports a relatively low resolution of 96 pixels by 128 pixels.

Sony is heavily promoting 3D imaging and has pledged to launch next year a LCD television that can show 3D images. The company also intends to build 3D support into its PlayStation 3 games console, Vaio laptop computers and its Blu-ray Disc players.

The Digital Contents Expo begins on Thursday and will run until Sunday at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, also known as the Miraikan, in Tokyo's Daiba district. Admission to the expo is free.