Influence of the Frame in Stereoscopic Images on Vergence Eye Movement

Abstract

When a scene is represented in a binocular stereoscopic display, depth distortions are perceived at the edges of the images in front of the screen. In our previous research (Ishigure et al., ITE, 1996), we showed that adding a virtual frame with a crossed disparity relative to the objects in stereoscopic images can eliminate the distortion. In the present study, we investigated how the depth distortion affects vergence eye movements and whether a virtual frame plays a role. The experimental results show : (1) when subjects perceive a depth distortion, the eyes converge to a point closer to the disparity of the screen than that of the object, (2) when the shape of the distorted object changes, convergence also changes, and (3) when the virtual frame has a crossed disparity, the point of convergence is located at the position indicated by the disparity of the object. The results indicate that presenting a stereoscopic image with an accompanying virtual frame prevents an undesired shift in convergence.