HCC: Small: Enabling Focus Cues in Stereoscopic Displays

尽管几十年来人们已经探索了许多不同的3D显示方法，但实际使用中的主导技术是立体类型，它通过从两个稍微不同的观看位置呈现场景的两个透视图像（每只眼睛一个）来提供深度感。 这种方法固有的问题是缺乏正确渲染的聚焦提示，这源于立体图像对通常呈现在离眼睛固定距离处的2D平坦表面上的事实。 结果，视网膜图像模糊不随从眼睛注视点到模拟场景中不同深度处的其他点的距离而变化，而是保持与显示表面的固定距离一致。 并且眼睛调节深度倾向于在2D显示器的固定距离处，而眼睛被迫在不同距离处会聚以观看不同深度处的对象。 心理物理学研究表明，这些不正确的焦点线索可能有助于压缩深度感知和视觉不适时，通常报告观看立体图像，这有深远的影响，采用立体显示器的广泛应用。 在这个项目中，PI将开发一种基于深度融合多焦平面技术的替代3D显示器，该技术提供比传统立体显示器更准确的焦点提示渲染。 而不是专注于开发更好的3D显示器的工程方面，她将追求以人为本的方法，其中人类观察者参与多模态3D显示平台的设计过程，该平台允许显示器的灵活适应沿着具有不同级别的焦点提示准确性的多种显示模态，从基本立体显示模式到具有正确或部分正确焦点提示的高级显示模式。PI将进行试点实验，以验证不同显示模式的功能，并评估焦点提示对深度感知的影响。更广泛的影响：新技术将提供一种显示解决方案，与现有系统相比，具有更高的深度感知精度，更高的立体视锐度，更快的任务执行速度和更少的眼睛疲劳。 项目成果还将提供一个急需的研究工具，支持在受控条件下调查可能导致深度感知准确性和视觉疲劳的各种因素，以及探索关键的健康问题，如长时间观看立体图像对儿童视力发育的影响。

Although many different approaches to 3D displays have been explored for decades, the dominant technology in practical use has been of the stereoscopic type, which provides a sense of depth by presenting two perspective images, one for each eye, of a scene from two slightly different viewing positions. A problem inherent to this approach is the lack of correctly rendered focus cues, which stems from the fact that the pairs of stereoscopic images are typically presented on 2D flat surfaces at a fixed distance from the eye. As a result, retinal image blur does not vary with the distances from an eye fixation point to other points at different depths in the simulated scene, but remains consistent with the fixed distance of the display surface. And the eye accommodation depth tends to be at the fixed distance of the 2D display while the eyes are forced to converge at different distances to view objects at different depths. Psychophysical studies have suggested that these incorrect focus cues may contribute to the compressed depth perception and visual discomfort commonly reported when viewing stereoscopic images, which have profound implications for adopting stereoscopic displays for a wide range of applications. In this project, the PI will develop an alternative 3D display based on depth-fused multifocal plane technology that offers more accurate rendering of the focus cues than conventional stereoscopic displays. Instead of focusing on the engineering aspects of developing a better 3D display, she will pursue a human-centered approach wherein human observers participate in the design process for a multi-modal 3D display platform that allows flexible adaptation of the display along multiple display modalities with different levels of focus cue accuracy, from the basic stereoscopic display mode to advanced display modes with correct or partially correct focus cues. The PI will carry out pilot experiments to validate the functions of different display modalities and to evaluate the effects of focus cues on depth perception.Broader Impacts: The new technology will offer a display solution with higher depth perception accuracy, higher stereo acuity, faster task performance, and less eye fatigue than currently available systems. Project outcomes will furthermore provide a much-needed research tool that supports investigation under controlled conditions of the various factors potentially contributing to depth perception accuracy and visual fatigue, as well as exploration of critical health issues such as the consequences for vision development in children of protracted viewing of stereoscopic images.