<title>User evaluation of a stereoscopic display for space-training applications</title>

Abstract

Space Shuttle missions and future Space Station Freedom activities both require a significant amount of out-the-window viewing to perform a variety of on-orbit tasks such as grappling objects with a robot arm, berthing payloads into the shuttle cargo bay, and docking the shuttle to the station. Many of these tasks take place close enough to the viewer such that stereo depth cues become useful and important. Astronaut crews spend many hours of ground training practicing these tasks using visual simulation without stereo depth cues. A prototype of a stereoscopic display system for use in these training scenarios has been constructed. Training instructors and development contractor personnel were asked to evaluate the display system for training suitability. Evaluators were also asked to judge the quality of stereo cues, long term viewing comfort, and degree of display artifacts. Results were compared to related research to develop recommendations for scene content and viewing distance and suggest the direction of further research to improve comfort and depth perception.