Stereoscopic image representation with synthetic depth of field

A novel concept of stereoscopic imaging providing a depth-of-field blur effect close to that experienced in natural vision is presented. With this concept, only a mini-volume of the reproduced three-dimensional space is displayed in full spatial resolution. This volume is centered around the current point of fixation of the viewer. In an exploratory study the concept of a so-called "depth of-interest" (DOI) display was evaluated. Subjects assessed computer-generated 3D images with different depth-selective filtering characteristics (i.e., varying in-depth extents of the mini-volume with full resolution). Results indicate that the DOI display can indeed improve 3D viewing comfort. Apparently, a somewhat smaller depth of field than experienced in natural vision is preferred in stereoscopic image representations.