Depth Perception in Stereoscopic 3D Displays

This research investigates the depth perception in three stereoscopic 3D (S3D) display techniques: temporal interlacing, color interlacing, and spatial interlacing. In temporal interlacing, the left eye’s image and the right eye’s image are shown alternatively in time. The temporal delay between the two eyes’ images distorts the depth of objects in horizontal motion. In color interlacing, each color channel interlaces the two eyes’ images temporally; at each color channel, the perceived disparity is distorted as in temporal interlacing. Because the human visual system estimates the disparity by using brightness not color, the depth distortion can be reduced by carefully selecting the interlacing order. Spatial interlacing shows the left eye’s image in odd-numbered rows and the right eye’s image in even-numbered rows. Information loss in the vertical direction can affect the binocular disparity of oblique lines, leading to a distortion in the perceived depth.