Stereoscopic 3D: Difference between revisions - VR & AR Wiki - Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Wiki

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After the success of James Cameron’s Avatar, stereoscopic 3D was promoted has having advantages in different media like movies, 3DTV, and games. Indeed, the Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo 3DS offered stereoscopic 3D gaming in a console format. On PC, S3D was available through driver-based solutions like Nvidia 3D Vision or TriDef <ref name=”3”> Schild, J., LaViola Jr., J. J. and Masuch, M. (2012). Understanding User Experience in Stereoscopic 3D Games. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: 89-98</ref>.

Back in 2010, S3D was on the cusp of becoming a mass consumer product, with cinemas showing an increasing number of movies in 3D, TV channels launching 3D broadcasts of ~~sport~~ events, and companies selling 3DTV sets and Blu-ray 3D players. Despite the technological advances, the practical production of S3D content that produces a natural and comfortable viewing experience is still a challenge. The challenge arises from the complex interplay of human visual perception and the restriction of display devices, which can lead to discomfort after prolonged use. The majority of the 3D display technology is based on displaying a stereo image on a ﬂat screen. This has the advantage of reproducing stereo cues like vergence. On the other side, other depth-cues like accommodation are neglected. The discrepancy between accommodation and vergence generates distorted perception, visual fatigue, headache, and dizziness <ref name=”4”> Lang, M., Hornung, A., Wang, O., Poulakos, S., Smolic, A. and Gross, M. (2010). Nonlinear Disparity Mapping for Stereoscopic 3D. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG) - Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH 2010, 29(4)</ref> <ref name=”5”> Read, J. C. A. and Bohr, I. (2014). User experience while viewing stereoscopic 3D television. Ergonomics, 57(8): 1140-1153</ref>.

Back in 2010, S3D was on the cusp of becoming a mass consumer product, with cinemas showing an increasing number of movies in 3D, TV channels launching 3D broadcasts of sports events, and companies selling 3DTV sets and Blu-ray 3D players. Despite the technological advances, the practical production of S3D content that produces a natural and comfortable viewing experience is still a challenge. The challenge arises from the complex interplay of human visual perception and the restriction of display devices, which can lead to discomfort after prolonged use. The majority of the 3D display technology is based on displaying a stereo image on a ﬂat screen. This has the advantage of reproducing stereo cues like vergence. On the other side, other depth-cues like accommodation are neglected. The discrepancy between accommodation and vergence generates distorted perception, visual fatigue, headache, and dizziness <ref name=”4”> Lang, M., Hornung, A., Wang, O., Poulakos, S., Smolic, A. and Gross, M. (2010). Nonlinear Disparity Mapping for Stereoscopic 3D. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG) - Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH 2010, 29(4)</ref> <ref name=”5”> Read, J. C. A. and Bohr, I. (2014). User experience while viewing stereoscopic 3D television. Ergonomics, 57(8): 1140-1153</ref>.

While users who experimented with the technology - especially in gaming - where impressed by it, it did not have a major impact on the industry, mainly in the 3D TV´s market. In the home console market, Sony removed support for S3D with the PS4. In mobile gaming, Nintendo released a 2D alternative to the regular Nintendo 3DS, downplaying the 3D functionality of the handheld console. It seems that, in the case of S3D on TVs, the near-future belongs to 4K TV, that will be supported by console ~~manufactures~~ and film studios. According to Tamburro (2015), one of the reasons for the problems stereoscopic 3D faced could be that “it’s difficult to sell a product that’s reliant upon the user experiencing it in order for them to understand its capabilities. While there will be the odd risk-taker who’s willing to plump down a wad of cash on something that could well turn out to be a failed experiment, the vast majority of people are far more sensible and choose to reserve their money unless they’re given a solid reason to part ways with it.” <ref name=”6”> Tamburro, P. (2015). How Virtual Reality Could Go the Way of Stereoscopic 3D. Retrieved from http://www.craveonline.com/design/938609-virtual-reality-go-way-stereoscopic-3d</ref>

While users who experimented with the technology - especially in gaming - where impressed by it, it did not have a major impact on the industry, mainly in the 3D TV´s market. In the home console market, Sony removed support for S3D with the PS4. In mobile gaming, Nintendo released a 2D alternative to the regular Nintendo 3DS, downplaying the 3D functionality of the handheld console. It seems that, in the case of S3D on TVs, the near-future belongs to 4K TV, that will be supported by console manufacturers and film studios. According to Tamburro (2015), one of the reasons for the problems stereoscopic 3D faced could be that “it’s difficult to sell a product that’s reliant upon the user experiencing it in order for them to understand its capabilities. While there will be the odd risk-taker who’s willing to plump down a wad of cash on something that could well turn out to be a failed experiment, the vast majority of people are far more sensible and choose to reserve their money unless they’re given a solid reason to part ways with it.” <ref name=”6”> Tamburro, P. (2015). How Virtual Reality Could Go the Way of Stereoscopic 3D. Retrieved from http://www.craveonline.com/design/938609-virtual-reality-go-way-stereoscopic-3d</ref>

==Technology and development==

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One of the techniques is polarization 3D, that can use active or passive polarized lenses (figure 1 and 2). Anaglyph 3D uses passive red cyan lenses or chromatically opposite colors. These can be considered the classic-type 3D glasses and are a type of passive lenses (figure 3). Head-mounted displays also provide S3D using a separate display optic very close to the eyes. Finally, autostereoscopic 3D is a technique that allows for 3D depth without glasses <ref name=”2”></ref> <ref name=”8”></ref>.

Passive glasses do not require the use of batteries and do not need to be electronically linked to the display mechanism. They use optical filters to selectively sort the right and left images to the correct eye. Newer versions of this technology work by interlacing the left and right images together using a unique screen made of two emitting filters on top of one another. Gouraud (2011) wrote that “each image is displayed using a property of light called polarization. This allows the passive-polarized glasses to then selectively filter out light between two images using the corresponding polarized films. Therefore, each eyepiece must be polarized in a different direction, allowing separate images to be delivered to each eye. In this manner a 3D effect is achieved.” <ref name=”9”></ref>

Passive glasses do not require the use of batteries and do not need to be electronically linked to the display mechanism. They use optical filters to selectively sort the right and left images to the correct eye. Newer versions of this technology work by interlacing the left and right images together using a unique screen made of two emitting filters on top of one another. Gouraud (2011) wrote that “each image is displayed using a property of light called polarization. This allows the passive-polarized glasses to then selectively filter out light between two images using the corresponding polarized films. Therefore, each eyepiece must be polarized in a different direction, allowing separate images to be delivered to each eye. In this manner, a 3D effect is achieved.” <ref name=”9”></ref>

Active shutter has been the primary technology used in home entertainment systems. The mechanism takes advantage of the high frame rates that are available in LED and plasma TVs (120 Hz and above). The TV displays two high definition pictures at a high refreshment frequency (>60 Hz) to achieve temporal multiplexing. The shutter glasses sync with the TV to actively filter the corresponding frames so that each eye only receives the intended image <ref name=”9”></ref>.

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Stereoscopic vision has evolved during millions of years. It is a common feature between humans and many animals, generally predators. In these, two parallel aligned eyes deliver different perspectives of the same scene. Stereoscopic vision is an important sense that is vital for the survival of the animals who possess it <ref name=”10”> Stereo3d. Basics/Quick-Info. Retrieved from http://www.stereo3d.com/3dhome.htm</ref>.

Charles Wheatstone first developed the stereoscope in 1938. His research demonstrated that the brain processes the images from each eye into a single three-dimensional object. When two stereoscopic images ~~where~~ viewed side by side through a stereoscope, a sense of depth and immersion was created. The design principles of the stereoscope are still applied today in things like the Google Cardboard and low budget VR HMDs for mobile phones <ref name=”11”> Virtual Reality Society. History Of Virtual Reality. Retrieved from https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html</ref>.

Charles Wheatstone first developed the stereoscope in 1938. His research demonstrated that the brain processes the images from each eye into a single three-dimensional object. When two stereoscopic images were viewed side by side through a stereoscope, a sense of depth and immersion was created. The design principles of the stereoscope are still applied today in things like the Google Cardboard and low budget VR HMDs for mobile phones <ref name=”11”> Virtual Reality Society. History Of Virtual Reality. Retrieved from https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html</ref>.

The popular View-Master stereoscope was patented in 1939, and was used for “virtual tourism”. In 1949 David Brewster suggested the use of lenses, giving rise to the lenticular stereoscope. The cinematographer Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama in the mid 1950s. It was an arcade-style theatre cabinet that stimulated all the senses. It had stereoscopic 3D display, stereo speakers, fans, smell generators, and a vibrating chair with the objective of immersing the viewer in the film. Heilig created six short films for the Sensorama. He was also responsible for the Telesphere Mask, that was patented in 1960. It was the first example of a HMD - although without motion tracking and for use with non-interactive film medium. This headset provided S3D and wide vision with stereo sound <ref name=”11”></ref>.

The popular View-Master stereoscope was patented in 1939, and was used for “virtual tourism”. In 1949 David Brewster suggested the use of lenses, giving rise to the lenticular stereoscope. The cinematographer Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama in the mid-1950s. It was an arcade-style theatre cabinet that stimulated all the senses. It had stereoscopic 3D display, stereo speakers, fans, smell generators, and a vibrating chair with the objective of immersing the viewer in the film. Heilig created six short films for the Sensorama. He was also responsible for the Telesphere Mask, that was patented in 1960. It was the first example of a HMD - although without motion tracking and for use with non-interactive film medium. This headset provided S3D and wide vision with stereo sound <ref name=”11”></ref>.

==Stereoscopic 3D devices==

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In games, the use of stereoscopy seemed to increase immersion and spatial presence. Although the effects differed between games, it seems that the use of S3D allows for a more natural and engaging experience <ref name=”3”></ref>.

One of the concerns regarding S3D technology relates to visual comfort. This has been a long-standing problem in stereoscopic research. It refers to the subjective sensation of discomfort associated with the viewing of stereoscopic images. This issue is not recent; in the past (mainly in the early 1950’s), there were some attempts to popularize 3D movies. These did not succeed due to the limited stereoscopic technology available at the time and to visual discomfort (2). Current stereoscopic displays with a fixed screen plane can cause several human visual cues to conflict with each other, mainly accommodation and convergence. This leads to a negative experience associated with symptoms of visual fatigue like sore eyes, eye strain, headache, and blurred vision. In HMDs this effect also occurs. It has to be noted that the presence and intensity of the visual discomfort ~~varies~~ from person to person <ref name=”3”></ref>.

One of the concerns regarding S3D technology relates to visual comfort. This has been a long-standing problem in stereoscopic research. It refers to the subjective sensation of discomfort associated with the viewing of stereoscopic images. This issue is not recent; in the past (mainly in the early 1950’s), there were some attempts to popularize 3D movies. These did not succeed due to the limited stereoscopic technology available at the time and to visual discomfort (2). Current stereoscopic displays with a fixed screen plane can cause several human visual cues to conflict with each other, mainly accommodation and convergence. This leads to a negative experience associated with symptoms of visual fatigue like sore eyes, eye strain, headache, and blurred vision. In HMDs this effect also occurs. It has to be noted that the presence and intensity of the visual discomfort vary from person to person <ref name=”3”></ref>.

==References==