Application of a Novel Neural Approach to 3D Gaze Tracking: Vergence Eye-Movements in Autostereograms

Essig K, Pomplun M, Ritter H. Application of a Novel Neural Approach to 3D Gaze Tracking: Vergence Eye-Movements in Autostereograms. In: Proceedings of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. Chicago, Illinois, USA: Cognitive Science Society; 2004: 357-362.Vergence eye-movements occur not only in real environ- ments, but also in virtual 3D environments. Autostere- ograms can cover large visual angles without requiring vergence beyond natural parameters and are thus well- suited for the investigation of vergence movements in virtual 3D images. We developed an anaglyph-based 3D calibration procedure and used a parametrized self- organizing map (PSOM) to approximate the 3D gaze point from a subject's binocular eye-movement data. Besides analyzing the general pattern of vergence eye- movements in autostereogram images, the present study examined the in∞uence of image granularity on these movements. Unlike previous research on random-dot stereograms, we found substantially overshooting con- vergence eye-movements, especially for medium gran- ularities. Moreover, divergence movements were com- pleted more quickly for coarse than for Øne granularities. Results are discussed in the context of granularity eÆects on autostereogram perception and the dissociation be- tween convergence and divergence eye-movements