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The first stereoscopic device was created to better understand depth perception and to study how binocular vision naturally occurs.
The distinction between monocular vision and binocular vision was first debated by the likes of Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C) who described how one object could be seen in double when one eye was moved by a finger.
More than 2,000 year ago, a Greek mathematician named Euclid (c. 323-283 B.C.), was among the first to recognize depth perception. Our brains take the slightly different images seen through each eye and turn it into one image.
These diagrams are derived from Euclid’s geometric analysis of binocular vision.
Courtesy of the Wiley Online Library.
** Fun Fact: The word ‘stereo’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘solid.’ Meaning, a stereograph is a picture that depicts its subject in a way that makes it appear solid. **
What is depth perception?
Depth perception is the ability to see things in three dimensions (including length, width and depth), and to judge how far away an object is.
In a process called convergence, our two eyes see an object from slightly different angles and our brain compares and processes the two sets of information to form a single image. When both eyes see clearly and the brain processes a single image effectively, it is called stereopsis.
Taken from his Notebooks, these drawings show how da Vinci examined binocular vision compared to monocular vision.
Courtesy of the Wiley Online Library.
Leonardo da Vinci created many drawings of projections to one or two eyes of a small sphere. He indicated that the background could be seen with two eyes, but not one, concluding that binocular vision was superior to monocular vision.
Depth perception can be a tricky concept to understand. This quick experiment is a great hands-on way for kids to learn!
TRY IT AT HOME!
When viewed through a stereoscope, dissimilar pictures produce the appearance of depth.
When viewed through a stereoscope, dissimilar pictures produce the appearance of depth.
Click on the button below to learn about early stereoscopic devices!
Click on the button below to learn about early stereoscopic devices!
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