Abstract
The optical systems being considered for automotive virtual image displays may confront drivers with significantly more vertical disparity than their military counterparts. Military head-up displays, for example, are limited to 1 milliradian (mrad) of vertical disparity whereas automotive displays may have 5 mrad.
Three experiments were performed to examine performance with virtual image displays as a function of amount of vertical disparity. Stimuli were simple speedometer dials with embedded tripmeters representing both analog and digital display tasks. Stimuli were presented tachistoscopically and subjects were required to read one or both instruments on each trial.
Disparity did not affect performance accuracy. Large disparities did, however, result in diplopia and, possibly, suppression of one of the visual images. Nevertheless, it appears that, at least in the driving situation, where displays are used intermittently and briefly for the information contained in them, comparatively large amounts of vertical disparity in displays will not degrade performance and may not even be noticed.
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