A Comparison of Monoscopic and Stereoscopic 3D Visualizations: Effect on Spatial Planning

Use of 3D visualization technologies has increased rapidly in many applied fields, including geovisualization, and has been researched from many different perspectives. However, the findings for the benefits of 3D visualization, especially in stereoscopic 3D forms, remain inconclusive and disputed. Stereoscopic “real” 3D visualization was proposed as encouraging the visual perception of shapes and volume of displayed content yet criticised as problematic and limited in a number of ways, particularly in visual discomfort and increased response time in tasks. In order to assess the potential of real 3D visualization for geo-applications, in the present study, sixty participants using 3D technology were tested on their ability to make informed decisions in selecting the correct position of a virtual transmitter in a digital terrain model. Participants were pseudo-randomly assigned into two groups, one using real-3D technology engaging stereoscopic 3D shutter glasses and the second working with standard computer screen-based visualizations (pseudo-3D). The results indicated that the participants who used real-3D performed significantly worse in response time. This finding verifies previous conclusions concerning the unsuitability of real-3D visualization technology for complex decision-making in geospatial tasks.