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.