Abstract
Creating stereo displays typically requires designers to accept a reduction in spatial resolution and/or update rate. Does the depth information provided by binocular disparity justify this loss of quality on other display parameters? We examined this question by pitting stereo against update rate in a spatial display used by operators to perform a closed-loop control task. The participants' goal was to maintain a target object at the same apparent depth as a standard via fore/aft joystick inputs. The target's position was perturbed using pseudo-random (sum-of-sines) disturbances. For half the trials, the participants' inputs mapped to rate control (i.e., the velocity of the target was proportional to the joystick displacement); on the other half, inputs mapped to acceleration control. Update rate (12, 24, or 48 frames-per-second) was crossed with display condition (stereo or biocular).
Our findings suggest that the utility of stereo cues varies as a function of control dynamics (i.e., rate vs. acceleration). Further, we find that the quality of depth cues impacts perceptual processing, while the nature of the control task impacts further “downstream” (i.e., operator's control strategies are affected).