Analytical model for the perceived retinal image formation of 3D display systems

Optical modelling of an accommodative light field display system and prediction of human eye responses

The spatio-angular resolution of a light field (LF) display is a crucial factor for delivering adequate spatial image quality and eliciting an accommodation response. Previous studies have modelled retinal image formation with an LF display and evaluated whether accommodation would be evoked correctly. The models were mostly based on ray-tracing and a schematic eye model, which pose computational complexity and inaccurately represent the human eye population's behaviour. We propose an efficient wave-optics-based framework to model the human eye and a general LF display. With the model, we simulated the retinal point spread function (PSF) of a point rendered by an LF display at various depths to characterise the retinal image quality. Additionally, accommodation responses to the rendered point were estimated by computing the visual Strehl ratio based on the optical transfer function (VSOTF) from the PSFs. We assumed an ideal LF display that had an infinite spatial resolution and was free from optical aberrations in the simulation. We tested points rendered at 0-4 dioptres of depths having angular resolutions of up to 4x4 viewpoints within a pupil. The simulation predicted small and constant accommodation errors, which contradict the findings of previous studies. An evaluation of the optical resolution on the retina suggested a trade-off between the maximum achievable resolution and the depth range of a rendered point where in-focus resolution is kept high. The proposed framework can be used to evaluate the upper bound of the optical performance of an LF display for realistically aberrated eyes, which may help to find an optimal spatio-angular resolution required to render a high quality 3D scene.

Focus issue introduction: 3D image acquisition and display: technology, perception, and applications

This feature issue of Optics Express is organized in conjunction with the 2020 OSA conference on 3D image acquisition and display: technology, perception and applications which was held virtually in Vancouver from 22 to 26, June 2020 as part of the imaging and sensing congress 2020. This feature issue presents 29 articles based on the topics and scope of the 3D conference. This review provides a summary of these articles.