After wearing a VR headset for a while, you may notice symptoms of eye fatigue, and the reason is actually related to the little-known neuroscience phenomenon of vergence-accommodation conflict.
In short, the distance between the eye and the object does not match the focus. Most VR goggles require you to stare at a screen only a few centimeters away from your eyes, but focus on a point farther away. This task confuses the brain, which is used to both being in the same place. But now optical engineers have developed a new type of 3D display, a breakthrough they claim will resolve the vergence-accommodation conflict.
Liang Gao from the University of Illinois in the United States said: “We hope to replace the current optical Indoor Soft LED Mesh Display models used in AR and VR with our 3D display to solve the problem of eye fatigue. A new generation of 3D displays.”
The new display module is only 1 by 2 inches, but it produces depth cues that allow the brain to perceive in the same way as real life. This is primarily achieved by dividing the digital display into sub-panels that create 2D images. Such sub-panel images can be moved to different depths, but are all centered on each other.
As a result, users appear to be able to see images at different depths. In addition, the researchers used a special algorithm to blend the edges together, making the depth information appear continuous and uninterrupted, and integrating a single 3D image.
Gao said: “Someone tried the same method as ours to create multi-panel depth, but instead of creating multiple depth images at the same time, they changed the image quickly. However, this method requires a trade-off in dynamic range or contrast. , because each image is displayed for a very short duration.”
The next step for the researchers is to reduce the size, weight and power consumption of the system, making it more practical for users to wear. Additionally, the team is looking for partners to commercialize the technology. It is understood that the complete information of the system has been published in the journal Optics Letters.
