A Comparative Study of Rotational and Stereoscopic Computer Graphic Depth Cues

Abstract

The present research investigated the effectiveness of rotational and stereoscopic display techniques as applied to practical applications in computer graphics. In the described experiments, depth perception was evaluated by examining accuracy in a 3D path-tracing task, with stimulus displays resembling the structure of cerebral angiograms. In the first experiment, task performance was determined without 3D enhancements, with either technique used alone and with both techniques combined. The results indicated that performance improved using either technique, however, performance with rotational displays was superior to stereoscopic displays, and performance was best when both techniques were combined. The results of a second experiment revealed that rotational displays were no better than stereoscopic displays enhanced with multiple static viewing angles. The experimental findings are discussed in terms of the visual information available using either 3D display technique as well as with respect to the hardware requirements of both display systems. The results are also related to the weighted additive model of depth perception.