Abstract
We investigated the effect of convergence of stereoscopic cameras on visual comfort and apparent depth. In Experiment 1, viewers rated comfort and depth of three stereoscopic sequences acquired with convergence distance set at 60, 120, 180, 240 cm, or infinity (i.e., parallel). Moderately converged conditions were rated either as comfortable (i.e., 240 cm) or more comfortable (i.e., 120 and 180 cm) than the parallel condition. The 60 cm condition was rated the least comfortable. Camera convergence had no effects on ratings of apparent depth. In Experiment 2, we used computer-generated stereoscopic still images to investigate the effects of convergence in the absence of lens distortions. Results matched those obtained in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, we artificially introduced keystone distortions in stereoscopic still images. We found that increasing the amount of keystone distortion caused only a minimal decrease in visual comfort and apparent depth.
