The most distinguishing feature of 3D display systems, compared to their traditional 2D counterparts, is their ability to provide an additional perception of depth to its viewers. Thus, the mechanisms behind human depth perception play a significant role in 3D video systems. While there has been significant amounts of research carried out to understand human depth perception, in the areas of physiology and psychology, its applicability to 3D display systems is seldom spoken. Understanding the mechanisms of depth perception is of utmost importance to the development of 3D video technologies that are heavily based on exploitation of human perception. In this paper, it is explained with the aid of existing physiological and psychological models how humans perceive depth in 3D video displays. Based on these explanations a mathematical model is derived to explain the just noticeable difference in depth (JNDD) as perceived by a viewer, watching 3D video. The derived model is experimentally validated on an auto-stereoscopic display. This model is expected to be useful in both 3D content productions as well as in 3D content processing and compression.
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