Mass Effect

The most obvious example of using two images to see depth is of course our own eyesight. The brain takes the information obtained by each eye and presents us with information about the depth of the scene we are viewing.

As I mentioned earlier, virtual reality headsets use stereoscopic images to make users perceive depth in the virtual worlds. An application designed for a VR headset is actually made of two separate views, one for each eye. When viewed without a headset, it looks like two identical views placed next to each other. However, they are not identical- they differ slightly and when viewed through the headset, users see one 3-dimensional image with depth. This example is particularly interesting because being in virtual reality is almost like being in another place. The illusion is used here to imitate reality. I think it’s one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, and I believe that this technology has so much potential for the future.

Interestingly, stereo images are also used in medicine to see depth in medical images. For example, stereo images are now used for endoscopies to give doctors depth information about the inside of a patient’s body.