Perceived smoothness of viewpoint transition in multi-viewpoint stereoscopic displays

Abstract

In this study, we conducted three experiments to investigate the perceived smoothness of multiview images. Different viewpoints of a stereoscopic scene were generated in real-time. The left-eye and right-eye views of each viewpoint were viewed stereoscopically, from a distance of 120 cm, with shutter glasses synchronized to the display. In Experiment 1, new and different vantage points of the scene were displayed as the viewer moved his/her head left and right in front of the display. Viewers rated the perceived smoothness of the scene for different viewpoint densities, i.e., number of viewpoints displayed per unit of amplitude of lateral movement, and extent of look-around, i.e., angular separation between the leftmost and rightmost rendered viewpoints. The second and third experiments were similar with the exception that the change in displayed viewpoint was either controlled by the viewer’s hand (Experiment 2) or occurred without any intervention on the part of the viewer (Experiment 3). Perceived smoothness improved with increasing viewpoint density up to about 4-6 views per cm in all three experiments. Smoothness ratings were somewhat lower in Experiments 1 and 2 than in 3. The perceived smoothness of viewpoint transition was affected by the extent of look-around in Experiments 1 and 2 only.