Retinal-image quality and maximum disparity

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of interocular differences in retinal-image quality in stereoscopic depth perception. To characterize retinal-image quality, we took the Strehl ratio from a double-pass device. Stereopsis was quantified through maximum disparity using random-dot stereograms (RDS). Data were taken for 25 observers with ages ranging from 21 to 61 years. The results show a significant correlation between maximum disparity and interocular differences in the Strehl ratio: the lower interocular differences, the higher maximum disparity. No significant dependence with age was found.

Keywords:

• retinal-image quality
• optical quality
• double-pass technique
• Strehl ratio
• stereopsis
• disparity

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank David Nesbitt for translating the text into English. This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (Spain) Grant FIS 2006-01369 and Junta de Andalucía (Spain) Grant P06-FQM-01359.