P3D VM Interocular or is that Interaxial

[Rod Sage <rsage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dr. T wrote:
>Here is what I found:

>- Window separation of VM reels: 65mm.  This is the separation of
 > the openings in the reel.  The infinity separation is wider
 > than that.  I don't know of any standard.  My guess is 1mm wider,
> but some of the very "depthy" VM images certainly have more.

>- Interocular of Virtual: 64.8mm
>- Interocular of other cheap current VM viewers: 65.0mm
>- Interocular of model F: 65.0mm
>- Interocular of VM Model D: 66.0mm
>- Interocular of deWijs as I have adjusted it for my most
 > comfortable viewing: 67.0mm

>So, the Virtual viewer has the shortest IO of all measured VM
>viewers, shorter than the window separation of the images.

>HOW DOES ANYONE EXPECT A HUMAN BEING TO BE ABLE TO FUSE THE
>STEREO IMAGES WITH THIS VIEWER???

>Actually, I am surprised I can even fuse the foreground points,
>given that my eyes are called to diverge even for these!!!

>The model D is much better at 66mm.  The 67mm that I have set
>my deWijs viewer allows me to view all the images of the demo
>Reel that came with the Virtual.

>I think someone should ask VM to reconsider their design of
>the VM viewers!  (It is too late to redesign the standard VM
>reel, but not too late to redesign the viewers)

>George Themelis

We need to remember that VM is marketing towards children way more than
adults. What is the inter-pupilary distance of the average child? What
is the average age of the average child with interest in Barbi's, Sesame
Street, Hot Wheels, Toy Story, etc..? I just checked a Discovery Channel
viewer and it seems to have a 65mm lens spacing also.
The only way to design a viewer to accommodate all humans is to either
use larger diameter lenses or to provide for interocular adjustment. Can
you imagine children trying to figure out the interocular knob? How much
would it cost to make slightly larger plastic lenses? A few pennies is
my guess.
But then there is the question of how to design a viewer for a Cyclops!

RDS