Making 3D Work: A Classification of Visual Depth Cues, 3D Display Technologies and Their Applications Mostafa Mehrabi, Edward M. Peek, Burkhard C. Wuensche, Christof Lutteroth Graphics Group, Department of Computer Science University of Auckland mmeh012@aucklanduni.ac.nz, epee004@auckland.ac.nz, b.wuensche@auckland.ac.nz, lutteroth@cs.auckland.ac.nz Abstract 3D display technologies improve perception and interaction with 3D scenes, and hence can make applications more effective and efficient. This is achieved by simulating depth cues used by the human visual system for 3D perception. The type of employed depth cues and the characteristics of a 3D display technology affect its usability for different applications. In this paper we review, analyze and categorize 3D display technologies and applications, with the goal of assisting application developers in selecting and exploiting the most suitable technology. Our first contribution is a classification of depth cues that incorporates their strengths and limitations. These factors have not been considered in previous contributions, but they are important considerations when selecting depth cues for an application. The second contribution is a classification of display technologies that highlights their advantages and disadvantages, as well as their requirements. We also provide examples of suitable applications for each technology. This information helps system developers to select an appropriate display technology for their applications. Keywords: classification, depth cues, stereo perception, 3D display technologies, applications of 3D display technologies 1 Introduction The first attempts for creating 3D images started in the late 1880s aided by an increasing understanding of the human visual perception system. The realization that the visual system uses a number of depth cues to perceive and distinguish the distance of objects in their environment encouraged designers to use the same principles to trick the human brain into the illusion of a 3D picture or animation (Limbchar 1968). Moreover, the realism 3D display techniques add to images dramatically improved research, education and practice in a diverse range of fields including molecular modelling, photogrammetry, medical imaging, remote surgery, pilot training, CAD and entertainment (McAllister 1993). Copyright © 2013, Australian Computer Society, Inc. This paper appeared at the 14th Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC 2013), Adelaide, Australia. Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology (CRPIT), Vol. 139. Ross T. Smith and Burkhard Wünsche, Eds. Reproduction for academic, not-for-profit purposes permitted provided this text is included. This success motivated researchers to develop new 3D display techniques with improved performance and for new application fields (Planar3D 2012). This process continues as more complex and more realistic display techniques are being researched (Favalora 2005). Different 3D display technologies are suitable for different applications depending on their characteristics and the depth cues that they simulate (McAllister 1993, Okoshi 1976). Therefore, a developer must be familiar with these techniques in order to make an informed choice about which one to use for a specific application. Characterizing 3D display techniques in terms of which applications they are suited for is not easy as the information regarding their limitations, constraints and capabilities is much dispersed. Earlier contributions (Pimenta and Santos 2010) have categorized depth cues and 3D display technologies; however there is no information provided about the significance of each of the depth cues, and the advantages, disadvantages and constraints of display techniques are not discussed. Furthermore, no guidelines are provided about which display technology is most suitable for a specific use-case. In this paper, we address the following two research questions: 1. What are the limitations of the depth cues of the human visual system? 2. What applications is each 3D display technology suitable for? To answer question 1, we have analysed the seminal references in that area (McAllister 1993, Okoshi 1976), in addition to references from art and psychology, and used them to build a new classification of depth cues. To answer question 2, we have analysed the most common display technologies (Planar3D 2012, Dzignlight Studios 2012) and the common characteristics of the applications they can be used for. The result is a classification of 3D display technologies in terms of their depth cues, advantages and disadvantages, and suitable application domains. Section 2 describes the classification of depth cues. Section 3 describes the classification of display technologies. Section 4 establishes a link between the display technologies and the applications they are appropriate for. Section 5 concludes the paper. 2 Depth Cues Depth cues are information from which the human brain perceives the third visual dimension (i.e. depth or Proceedings of the Fourteenth Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC2013), Adelaide, Australia 91