Virtual Chameleon: Wearable Machine to Provide Independent Views to Both Eyes

Abstract

We developed a Virtual Chameleon that is a wearable device that provides independent fields of view to the eyes. It consists of two independently controlled CCD cameras and a head-mounted display. The Virtual Chameleon artificially enables the user to vary the directions of the visual axes of both eyes to arbitrary directions independently and to perceive each field of view simultaneously. Humans move both eyes in various styles of eye movements. But an attitude control of camera platforms equipped with the system was only corresponding to smooth eye movements because a control method of the system depends on only arm movements. It was assumed that visual stimuli induced by various eye movements affect predominance occurred in binocular rivalry. Therefore, in this work, we focused on patterns of eye movements and control method, and implemented additional functions to make users control Virtual Chameleon in various way by mounting pointing devices.