Analysis and Practical Minimization of Registration Error in a Spherical Fish Tank Virtual Reality System

Qian Zhou, Gregor Miller, Kai Wu, Ian Stavness, Sidney S. Fels

Abstract: We describe the design, implementation and detailed visual error analysis of a 3D perspective-corrected spherical display that uses calibrated, multiple rear projected pico-projectors. The display system is calibrated via 3D reconstruction using a single inexpensive camera, which enables both view-independent and view-dependent applications, also known as, Fish Tank Virtual Reality (FTVR). We perform error analysis of the system in terms of display calibration error and head-tracking error using a mathematical model. We found: head tracking error causes significantly more eye angular error than display calibration error; angular error becomes more sensitive to tracking error when the viewer moves closer to the sphere; and angular error is sensitive to the distance between the virtual object and its corresponding pixel on the surface. Taken together, these results provide practical guidelines for building a spherical FTVR display and can be applied to other configurations of geometric displays.