Improving the visual comfort of stereoscopic images

Lew B. Stelmach; Wa James Tam; Filippo Speranza; Ronald Renaud; Taali Martin

doi:10.1117/12.474093

30 May 2003 Improving the visual comfort of stereoscopic images

Lew B. Stelmach, Wa James Tam, Filippo Speranza, Ronald Renaud, Taali Martin

Proceedings Volume 5006, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems X; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.474093
Event: Electronic Imaging 2003, 2003, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

We compared the visual comfort and apparent depth of stereoscopic images for three camera configurations: parallel (without image shift), image-shifted and converged. In the parallel and image-shifted configurations, the stereo cameras were pointed straight ahead. In the converged configuration the cameras were toed-in. In the image-shifted configuration the image frame was shifted perpendicularly with respect to the line of sight of the camera. The parallel configuration produces images with uncomfortably large disparities for objects near the camera. By converging the cameras or by shifting the image, these large disparities can be reduced and visual comfort can be improved. However, the converged configuration introduces keystone distortions into the image, which can produce visual discomfort. The image-shifted configuration does not introduce keystone distortions, but affects the width of the image frame. It also requires unusual camera hardware or computer post-processing to shift the images. We found that converged and image-shifted configurations improved the visual comfort of stereoscopic images by an equivalent amount, without affecting the apparent depth. Keystone distortions in the converged configuration had no appreciable negative effect on visual comfort.

Citation Download Citation

Lew B. Stelmach, Wa James Tam, Filippo Speranza, Ronald Renaud, and Taali Martin "Improving the visual comfort of stereoscopic images", Proc. SPIE 5006, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems X, (30 May 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.474093

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