Proceedings Article | 10 May 2012
KEYWORDS: 3D displays, Stereoscopic displays, Visualization, 3D image processing, 3D acquisition, Target detection, Image analysis, 3D metrology, 3D vision, Camouflage
This work reviews the human factors-related literature on the task performance implications of stereoscopic 3D displays,
in order to point out the specific performance benefits (or lack thereof) one might reasonably expect to observe when
utilizing these displays. What exactly is 3D good for? Relative to traditional 2D displays, stereoscopic displays have
been shown to enhance performance on a variety of depth-related tasks. These tasks include judging absolute and
relative distances, finding and identifying objects (by breaking camouflage and eliciting perceptual "pop-out"),
performing spatial manipulations of objects (object positioning, orienting, and tracking), and navigating. More
cognitively, stereoscopic displays can improve the spatial understanding of 3D scenes or objects, improve memory/recall
of scenes or objects, and improve learning of spatial relationships and environments. However, for tasks that are
relatively simple, that do not strictly require depth information for good performance, where other strong cues to depth
can be utilized, or for depth tasks that lie outside the effective viewing volume of the display, the purported performance
benefits of 3D may be small or altogether absent. Stereoscopic 3D displays come with a host of unique human factors
problems including the simulator-sickness-type symptoms of eyestrain, headache, fatigue, disorientation, nausea, and
malaise, which appear to effect large numbers of viewers (perhaps as many as 25% to 50% of the general population).
Thus, 3D technology should be wielded delicately and applied carefully; and perhaps used only as is necessary to ensure
good performance.
