Investigating the use of spectacle lenses to alleviate vergence-accommodation mismatch in a stereoscopic remote vision system

Abstract

Vergence-accommodation (VA) mismatch is a component of stereoscopic 3D remote vision system (RVS) design linked to depth misperception and visual discomfort. VA mismatch is caused by an unnatural conflict between the focal distance of the image (and thus accommodative demand) and the binocular vergence demand. A possible solution to mitigate VA mismatch is to change the accommodative demand with an optical correction, reducing the mismatch with the vergence demand. This experiment investigated the effect of low-add spectacle lenses (eyewear) on RVS performance and visual comfort. While previous research showed a positive effect of decreasing VA mismatch with the use of switchable lenses to adjust focal distance, the optical changes in this investigation were insufficient to make a difference. We conclude that the use of eyewear with a small dioptric add is not an effective solution to improve stereoscopic RVS performance or viewing comfort.