First of all, we need to explain the formation of images through the human ocular system. The perception of depth is possible due to the usage of some visual cues of relative depth between images, some of them are even possible through 2D pictures such as image overlapping, blurring of images and others that may be expressed on 2 dimensions. However, true perception of depth needs to include two other visual cues which are impossible to be expressed in this manner, which are:
- the focusing capacity of the eye: our capability of focusing on closer or farther objects by changing the shape of the biconcave lens we have in our eyes;
- binocular disparity: it is the slight difference between images acquired by each of our eyes, associated with the distance between them, which is also called stereopsis;
Although different technologies may be used, all one of them, basically, allow us to acquire different images for each of our eyes which are processed by our brain, considering the horizontal distance between our eyes, therefore providing a fake but desirable illusion of depth.
It is rather interesting to understand the inner workings of 3D cinema, but what about home entertainment? When are those 3D gadgets going to reach our houses?
The answer is: whenever you can buy them.
A simple query on google for "3D monitors" will show you some already on sale 3D monitors for reasonable prices. Although buying one of them today is probably not a good idea, since big manufacturers such as Sony and Samsung already have those models under development, and will provide more reliable devices.
When 3D devices are made available, under mass production, for the home user, the entertainment market will shift producing 3D capable games, movies, TV shows and whatever suits the audience, bringing us to a new virtual reality, less distinct from the real one. However it is said that, due to the small size of this portable 3D experiences, users usually feel dizziness less often than on a 3D movie theater.
