Cite as:
Wang T Z, 2007, "Does binocular disparity mislead stereopsis research?" Perception 36 ECVP Abstract Supplement

Does binocular disparity mislead stereopsis research?

T Z Wang

Since 1838 Wheatstone's invention of the stereoscope binocular disparity has been the most important type of information in stereopsis. Disparity is defined as the difference in the location of the image of an object in the two eyes. It can only be precisely measured after the location has been identified; in other words, disparity is a high-level type of visual information. However, vast results of experiments with random-dot stereograms (Julesz, 1986 Vision Research 26 1601 - 1612) demonstrate that stereopsis is a knowledge-free low-level process and precedes form perception. How a high-level type of information--disparity--can be used to depict a low-level process? In spite of Marr [1980 Vision (New York: W H Freeman)] the use of higher' level features, zero-crossings, as the primitive, and suggesting some additional constraints of matching, leave this problem still unresolved. In addition, the studies on Da Vinci stereopsis (eg Anderson and Nakayama, 1994 Psychological Review 101 414 - 445) show that disparity cannot be used in a half-occlusion area. All this implies that disparity may mislead stereopsis research.

[Supported by NSFC No. 60275040.]

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