UC Berkeley

Stereoscopic 3D displays are able to provide an added sense of depth compared to traditional displays by sending slightly different images to each eye. Although stereoscopic displays can provide a more immersive viewing experience, existing methods have drawbacks that can detract from image quality and cause perceptual artifacts. In this thesis I investigate perceptual artifacts associated with displays, and propose novel techniques that can improve viewing experience compared to existing methods. Chapter 1 presents a broad introduction to the various types of artifacts that can occur in displays, including motion artifacts, depth distortion, flicker, and color breakup. In Chapter 2, I describe a novel display technique, "spatiotemporal interlacing," that combines spatial and temporal interlacing. I demonstrate using psychophysics that this method provides a better viewing experience than existing methods, and I present a computational model that confirms the psychophysical data. In Chapter 3, I present an investigation of perceptual artifacts on a high-frame-rate (240Hz) temporally interlaced OLED display. The high frame rate of this display allows for several unique driving modes. I investigated the perceptual consequences of these driving modes, characterizing the display in terms of motion, depth distortion, flicker, spatial resolution, and luminance. I demonstrate how one's selection of viewing mode can tailor the viewing experience depending on the goals of viewer. Chapter 4 discusses the phenomenon of color breakup, a perceptual artifact that occurs in displays that present colors sequentially in time, such as Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors. I discuss a novel psychometric procedure to measure the artifact, and a way to model the saliency of the artifact based on known spatiotemporal properties of the human visual system. I also propose a method for reducing color breakup.