Virtual Window Viewing Geometry

Operator performance with telerobotic systems may be improved by use of video displays that simulate direct vision through a window. This "virtual window" concept provides intuitive head-coupled aiming of the camera system field-of-view as the observer shifts left /right or up /down. It also provides correct motion parallax cues, thus eliminating the strange distortions seen in conventional stereoscopic video when the observer moves laterally in front of the display screen. Unlike other head-coupled approaches, this permits the use of fixed rack-mounted video displays (typically more comfortable for prolonged work sessions) that are relatively low-cost and readily available with color, high-resolution, and good image contrast (difficult to achieve in a helmet-mounted display). While this "virtual window" concept is relatively easy to implement for computer-generated imagery, real-world imaging requires special camera system geometry to make the display concept work. This paper reviews "virtual window" camera/display geometry and reports on initial performance testing with a simple prototype.