Vergence Eye Movements Made in Response to Spatial-Frequency-Filtered Random-Dot Stereograms

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Abstract
Vergence responses were recorded from practised observers viewing narrow-band spatial-frequency-filtered planar random-dot stereograms. It was found that low spatial frequencies of 1·75–3·5 cycles deg−1 could trigger appropriate vergence responses to larger disparities than could the relatively high spatial frequency of 7·0 cycles deg−1. Nevertheless, appropriate vergence shifts were observed reliably for spatial-frequency/disparity combinations well outside the range predicted by Marr and Poggio's (1979) model of stereo vision. It was also found that for large-disparity/high-spatial-frequency combinations which the subjects could not fuse, the vergence system went into oscillation with the eyes diverging and converging at a frequency of about 1·5 Hz and with an amplitude of about 10–20 min arc. Finally, it was demonstrated that when a prominent monocular cue was superimposed upon a large-disparity/high-spatial-frequency stereogram then a speedy vergence response occurred which resulted in successful fusion. This latter finding supports the hypothesis advanced earlier that monocular cues can facilitate stereopsis by triggering appropriate vergence shifts.