Is eye damage caused by stereoscopic displays?

Author(s): Mayer U, Neumann MD, Kubbat W, Landau K

Editor(s): Merritt JO; Benton SA; Woods AJ; Bolas MT

Abstract: A normal developing child will achieve emmetropia in youth and maintain it. Thereby cornea, lens and axial length of the eye grow astonishingly co-ordinated. In the last years research has evidenced that this co-ordinated growing process is a visually controlled closed loop. The mechanism has been studied particularly in animals. It was found that the growth of the axial length of the eyeball is controlled by image focus information from the retina.

It was shown that maladjustment can occur by this visually-guided growth control mechanism that results in ametropia (e.g. as myopia). Thereby it has been proven that e.g. short-sightedness is not only caused by heredity, but is acquired under certain visual conditions. It is shown that these conditions are similar to the conditions of viewing stereoscopic displays where the normal accommodation convergence coupling is disjoint.

An evaluation is given of the potential of damaging the eyes by viewing stereoscopic displays. Concerning this, different viewing methods for stereoscopic displays are evaluated. Moreover, clues are given how the environment and display conditions shall be set and what users shall be chosen to minimise the risk of eye damages.

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