The (Possible) Utility of Stereoscopic 3D Displays for Information Visualization: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
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The (Possible) Utility of Stereoscopic 3D Displays for Information Visualization: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly John P. McIntire and Kristen K. Liggett 711th Human Performance Wing Air Force Research Laboratory Wright-Patterson AFB, OH ABSTRACT cues -- resulting in what is sometimes called “2.5D” displays The good, bad, and “ugly” aspects of stereoscopic three- (Dixon, Fitzhugh, & Aleva, 2009). This is why photographs or dimensional display viewing are presented and discussed in movies do not appear strictly flat; occlusions by nearer objects, relation to data and information visualization applications, relative size cues, shadows, relative motion of objects, aerial primarily relating to spatial comprehension and spatial perspective, and a whole host of other cues help our brains understanding tasks. We show that three-dimensional displays automatically construct a three-dimensional representation of a hold the promise of improving spatial perception, complex scene scene, using the best available information from a 2D image understanding, memory, and related aspects of performance, but (Cutting & Vishton, 1995). But current 2D imagery is unable to primarily for (1) tasks that are multidimensional or spatial in portray two particular highly informative spatial/depth cues: nature; (2) for tasks that are difficult, complex, or unfamiliar; • self-motion parallax (self-motion of the viewer in space over and/or (3) when other visual spatial cues are degraded or time, sometimes called ‘motion perspective’ or ‘egomotion’), missing. No current 3D display system is capable of satisfying and all visual depth cues simultaneously with high fidelity, though • binocular disparity (two different simultaneous vantage stereoscopic 3D displays offer the distinct advantage of points for each eye, allowing for the perception of stereopsis). binocular stereopsis without incurring substantial costs, or loss in the fidelity of other depth cues. Human factors problems that Displays lacking the ability to show these extra sources of continue to plague 3D displays and that are especially pertinent spatial information are thus providing a deficient, incomplete, to stereoscopic visualizations are considered. We conclude that unnatural, or possibly inaccurate representation of data to a stereo 3D displays may be an invaluable tool for some viewer. This concern is likely to be most relevant to applications of data or information visualization, but warn that it visualization applications in which complex 3D+ data must be is a tool that must be utilized thoughtfully and carefully. studied, analyzed, understood, utilized, or interacted with in precise ways. Towards this end, we describe the (possible) Keywords utility of stereoscopic 3D display technology for 3D data Stereoscopic displays, 3D displays, depth perception, spatial visualization. visualizations, multidimensional views, depth cue combination. Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) displays are capable of providing Human-centered computing; human computer interaction; all of the rich monocular depth cues available in modern 2D visualization; imagery, with the addition of one of the two most important spatial depth cues: binocular disparity. In contrast to state-of- the-art volumetric, light-field, or holographic 3D displays, which 1. Introduction are only now in their infancy, stereoscopic display technology By nature, humans perceive and conceptualize the world in three has matured such that these systems can provide high-fidelity spatial dimensions. Decades of advances in sensors and color representations of 3D spatial information without computational technologies have eased the collection and extravagant costs in terms of additional hardware, software, analysis of 3D spatial and/or multidimensional data (3D+). imagery, or computational requirements. Reviews of the human Despite this embarrassment of riches in terms of available data, performance benefits of S3D displays suggest mixed but mostly our displays of such data primarily remain stuck in only two- favorable findings across experimental literatures (McIntire, dimensions (2D). Traditional flat-panel 2D displays are Havig, & Geiselman, 2012, 2014; Hofmeister, Frank, Cuschieri, inexpensive and ubiquitous in today’s world, but the pulldown- & Wade, 2001; Getty & Green, 2007; van Beurden, van Hoey, transformation that occurs by portraying 3D+ data from a single Hatzakis, & IJsselsteijn, 2009; Held & Hui, 2011; Chen, Haas, flat 2D image surface means that relevant information in one or & Barnes, 2007; Boff, 1982). These reviews demonstrate that more dimensions can be distorted, lost, or otherwise invisible. S3D helps particularly for tasks such as the spatial Some hints of 3D depth can be gleaned from viewing 2D manipulations of objects (e.g., real or virtual telemanipulation); representations through the use of perspective or monocular for finding, identifying, or classifying objects and imagery (e.g., image analysis and interpretation tasks); and for understanding direct control of the viewer, suggesting the alignment of visual and comprehending complex spatial scenes, data, or spatial cues with manual interaction provides a significant information. It is this last task category, relating strongly to further benefit to spatial comprehension. information or data visualization applications, which we will Aitsiselmi & Holliman (2009) used a mental rotation task focus on in the present report. to show that S3D improves the cognitive aspects of 3D shape We first investigate a variety of data and information understanding (using block structures) which manifested as visualization-related studies showing a clear benefit of S3D and improved shape judgments, with comparable response times to discuss on what types of tasks S3D helped (i.e., The Good – 2D. This beneficial effect on spatial cognition was demonstrated Section 2). Next, we investigate some visualization on both an S3D desktop system and a simulated small-screen circumstances under which S3D clearly offered no benefit over system (to emulate a cell phone-sized S3D display). Neubauer, traditional 2D (i.e., The Bad – Section 3) and explore some Bergner, & Schatz (2010) also studied a mental rotation task in possible reasons why. Finally, we discuss the negative human 2D versus S3D. These researchers found a general facilitating factors issues and concerns related uniquely to S3D displays of effect of S3D on response times and scores (accuracy), for both information (i.e., The Ugly – Section 4). Most of the papers to males and females, but with an even more pronounced accuracy be discussed were derived from the task and outcome benefit for females (who sometimes show difficulty in classification scheme described in the reviews by McIntire, performing 2D and 3D rotations shown on 2D displays). Havig, & Geiselman (2012, 2014). We hope to emphasize to visualization and analytics professionals that S3D is a tool, and 2.2. Air Traffic Control Tasks only a tool; one that may be particularly beneficial for many Bourgois, Cooper, Duong, Hjalmarsson, Lange, & Ynnerman aspects of data or information visualization, yet may not be the (2005) describe an evaluation of a virtual air traffic control right type of tool for many others. And like any complex tool, (ATC) task involving the identification of critical flight levels in S3D can be easily misused or misapplied, and thus should be a scene; i.e., understanding the spatial relationships of moving implemented delicately and applied carefully to situations likely objects in a scene. They found that participants (former air to provide measureable performance benefits over traditional 2D traffic controllers) had improved response times to critical visualizations. conflict situations, and self-reported better clarity and understanding in their spatial judgments. Dang-Nguyen, Le- 2. The Good: When S3D Helps Hong, & Tavanti (2003) tested expert subjects on a similar ATC In this section, we briefly review and discuss research in which a experiment in which virtual low-density aircraft traffic displays benefit of S3D has been shown (i.e., S3D is clearly better than (no motion shown) required judgments regarding spatial de- 2D on most or all performance measures of interest). The confliction. They also found that response time judgments were reviewed studies relate specifically to spatial cognition and improved with no loss in accuracy, suggesting an improvement spatial information understanding tasks with possible direct in spatial understanding of the displayed data. Finally, Russi relevance to scientific, information, and data visualization. (2013) investigated the use of S3D for its ability to represent air Overall, the results demonstrate improved size and shape traffic both laterally (as with traditional 2D displays) as well as perceptions, and improved spatial scene understanding, across vertically so participants could quickly and easily identify various tasks utilizing S3D visualizations. Improvements were possible vertical conflictions and altitude deviations. Results evidenced with increases in speed or accuracy of task showed improved ability to detect conflicts with the S3D display performance, or in some cases, both. Tasks under investigation over the 2D representation of the same information. Also, primarily involved traditional mental rotation tasks, air traffic participants reported lower workload and lower task difficulty control airspace judgments, virtual object size judgments, and with the S3D representation. network data interpretation tasks. 2.3.