Stereoscopic Three-dimensional Optic Flow Distortions Caused by Mismatches Between Image Acquisition and Display Parameters

We analyzed the impact of common stereoscopic three-dimensional (S3D) depth distortion on S3D optic flow in virtual reality environments. The depth distortion is introduced by mismatches between the image acquisition and display parameters. The results show that such S3D distortions induce large S3D optic flow distortions and may even induce partial/full optic flow reversal within a certain depth range, depending on the viewer's moving speed and the magnitude of S3D distortion. We hypothesize that the S3D optic flow distortion may be a source of intra-sensory conflict that could be a source of visually induced motion sickness. (C) 2019 Society for Imaging Science and Technology.