Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it is developing technology for a 3-D television that won’t require viewers to wear special glasses. Toshiba’s new TVs will be a world first in offering glasses-free 3-D, according to the nationally circulated Yomiuri.

Company spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara confirmed such technology was in the works. But she declined to comment on a report in the Yomiuri newspaper that the Tokyo-based company plans to start selling the new TVs by the end of the year.

The technology involves transmitting different images at various angles to create an illusion of dimension and depth, and watching the 3-D images won’t be tiring on the eyes, it said.

The 3-D TVs now on sale, such as those from rivals Panasonic Corp. and Sony Corp., require glasses.

Electronics companies have been investing heavily in 3-D technology for televisions, betting that people will want a 3-D experience at home following the success of blockbuster movies like “Avatar,” which was screened in 3-D.

Some gadgets like handheld game machines from Nintendo Co. can deliver 3-D images without special glasses, but bigger technological hurdles must be cleared for televisions which are viewed from farther away than portable game machines.

“Many people don’t like to wear glasses to watch TV for a long time, especially people who must wear 3-D glasses over regular glasses,” said Sugahara.