Perception

Journal of Eye Movement Research
5(2):1, 1-8

Vergence tracking: a tool to assess oculomotor performance in stereoscopic displays
Pascaline Neveu
IRBA, France

Matthieu
Philippe

Anne-Emmanuelle
Priot

Philippe
Fuchs

Corinne
Roumes

IRBA, France

IRBA, France

Mines ParisTech, France

IRBA, France

Oculomotor conflict induced between the accommodative and vergence components in stereoscopic displays represents an unnatural viewing condition. There is now some evidence that stereoscopic viewing may induce discomfort and changes in oculomotor parameters. The present study sought to measure oculomotor performance during stereoscopic viewing. Using a 3D stereo setup and an eye-tracker, vergence responses were measured during 20-min exposure to a virtual visual target oscillating in depth, which participants had to track. The results showed a significant decline in the amplitude of the in-depth oscillatory vergence response over time. We propose that eye-tracking provides a useful tool to objectively assess the timevarying alterations of the vergence system when using stereoscopic displays.
Keywords: Eye-tracking, repetition of eye movements, stereoscopic displays, vergence, visual fatigue

provide depth perception with a stereoscopic device, the vergence demand must lie closer to, or farther than, the image display (depending on the location of the fixated object), while the accommodation demand remains fixed on the image display so that a clear view of the virtual scene can be obtained. Many studies have demonstrated changes in oculomotor responses after exposition to stereoscopic displays (Eadie, et al., 2000; Emoto, Nojiri,
& Okano, 2004; Hoffman, et al., 2008; Sharples, Cobb,
Moody, & Wilson, 2008; Ukai & Howarth, 2008). The oculomotor alteration is traditionally measured via comparison of oculomotor parameters measured before and after the stereoscopic viewing. However, these oculomotor alterations likely result

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