Double buffering technique for binocular imaging in a window

Binocular digital imaging is a rapidly developing branch of digital imaging. Any such system must have some means that allows each eye to see only the image intended for it. We describe a time-division multiplexing technique that we have developed for Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGITM) workstations. We utilize the “double buffering” hardware feature of the SGITM graphics system for binocular image rendering. Our technique allows for multiple, re-sizable, full-resolution stereoscopic and monoscopic windows to be displayed simultaneously. We describe corresponding software developed to exploit this hardware. This software contains user-controllable options for specifying the most comfortable zero-disparity plane and effective interocular separation. Several perceptual experiments indicate that most viewers perceive 3-D comfortably with this system. We also discuss speed and architecture requirements of the graphics and processor hardware to provide flickerless stereoscopic animation and video with our technique.