From: J.P.Wann@RDG.AC.UK Subject: Re: TECH: Accommodation vs convergence in stereoscopy Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1996 09:50:23 GMT From: J.P.Wann@RDG.AC.UK > Marc Bernatchez wrote: >I still need more feedback on the relation between accommodation and >convergence, keep it comming :- > This discussion has some crucial importance because it will > permits us to better analyze the way HMDs helmets should be designed > on their optical side...... I would suggest it is difficult to resolve anything in this is area by introspection or general discussion. There is a long (100year) history of research into the mechanisms of conjugate and vergence eye-movements, accommodation and the links between the latter two. There are a number of journal sources such as: Vision Research, Investigative Optometry, Opthalmic and Physiological Optics etc., where you will find papers on the response of the two systems (accom, verg.) to reciprocal stimuli and the extent to which the cross-links between the systems may/may-not be plastic. I don't want to discourage contributors from speculating about these relationships, but to chew this one over you really need to take on board the physiological data already in the public domain. The companies we have knowledge of put a lot of effort into the design and manufacture of commercial HMDs and improving upon those designs ultimately requires empirical research with human users. Coming up with optimal solutions for 3D displays (not just HMDs) is labour intensive and the occasional post to Sci-VW that suggests something like "Hey, all we need is some eye-trackers built into the HMD and then....", is under-estimating the design/manufacture/system-control difficulties. Improving the optical design of VR displays requires regression to what Bob Jacobson might label "tinkering in the lab" (11/2/96) and also being "negative" and letting the people know about the designs that promote problems for users as well as ones that don't (Sorry Bob couldn't resist that one). JW ********************************************************* John Wann or < J.P.Wann@rdg.ac.uk> ********************************************************** Edinburgh Virtual Environment Lab. - Now sited at: (Wann, Mon-Williams) (Rushton, Hawkes) Department of Psychology AND Department of Psychology University of Reading University of Edinburgh PO Box 238 7 George Square Reading RG6 6AL Edinburgh EH8 9JZ +44 1734 318532 +44 131 650 3426 Fx +44 1734 316604 +44 131 650 3461 ***********************************************************