The (Possible) Utility of Stereoscopic 3D Displays for Information Visualization: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The good, bad, and "ugly" aspects of stereoscopic three-dimensional display viewing are presented and discussed in relation to data and information visualization applications, primarily relating to spatial comprehension and spatial understanding tasks. We show that three-dimensional displays hold the promise of improving spatial perception, complex scene understanding, memory, and related aspects of performance, but primarily for (1) tasks that are multidimensional or spatial in nature; (2) for tasks that are difficult, complex, or unfamiliar; and/or (3) when other visual spatial cues are degraded or missing. No current 3D display system is capable of satisfying all visual depth cues simultaneously with high fidelity, though stereoscopic 3D displays offer the distinct advantage of binocular stereopsis without incurring substantial costs, or loss in the fidelity of other depth cues. Human factors problems that continue to plague 3D displays and that are especially pertinent to stereoscopic visualizations are considered. We conclude that stereo 3D displays may be an invaluable tool for some applications of data or information visualization, but warn that it is a tool that must be utilized thoughtfully and carefully.