Quality, quantity and precision of depth perception in stereoscopic displays

Stereoscopic 3D viewing (S3D) can create a clear and compelling improvement in the quality of the 3D experience compared with 2D displays. This improvement is distinct from any change in the amount of depth perceived, or the apparent 3D shapes of objects and the distances between them. It has been suggested instead that the enhanced feeling of realness is associated more with the precision with which we see depth. We measured the contribution of stereoscopic cues to the quality of depth perception in simple abstract images and complex natural scenes. We varied the amount of disparity present in the simple scenes in order to dissociate the magnitude and precision of perceived depth. We show that the qualitative enhancement of perceived depth in stereoscopic displays can be readily quantified, and that it is more closely related to the precision than to the magnitude of apparent depth. It is thus possible to make a distinction between scenes that contain more depth, and those that contain better depth.