3D display

A 3D display is a display device capable of conveying depth to the viewer. Many 3D displays are stereoscopic displays, which produce a basic 3D effect by means of stereopsis, but can cause eye strain and visual fatigue. Newer 3D displays such as holographic and light field displays produce a more realistic 3D effect by combining stereopsis and accurate focal length for the displayed content. Newer 3D displays in this manner cause less visual fatigue than classical stereoscopic displays. As of 2021, the most common type of 3D display is a stereoscopic display, which is the type of display used in almost all virtual reality equipment. 3D displays can be near-eye displays like in VR headsets, or they can be in a device further away from the eyes like a 3D-enabled mobile device or 3D movie theater. The term “3D display” can also be used to refer to a volumetric display which may generate content that can be viewed from all angles. The first 3D display was created by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1832. It was a stereoscopic display that had rudimentary ability for representing depth. Stereoscopy Stereoscopic displays are commonly referred to as “stereo displays,” “stereo 3D displays,” “stereoscopic 3D displays,” or sometimes erroneously as just “3D displays.” The basic technique of stereo displays is to present offset images that are displayed separately to the left and right eye. Both of these 2D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3D depth. Although the term "3D" is ubiquitously used, it is important to note that the presentation of dual 2D images is distinctly different from displaying a light field, and is also different from displaying an image in three-dimensional space. The most notable difference to real 3D displays is that the observer's head and eyes movements will not increase information about the 3D objects being displayed. For example, holographic displays do not have such limitations. It is an overstatement of capability to refer to dual 2D images as being "3D".