Using stereoscopy for medical virtual reality

The use of stereoscopy to enhance the immersive experience obtained from a virtual environment is well known, and many medical applications can benefit from this technology. The stereoscopic projection sessions at the last two MMVR conferences contain many excellent examples. Stereoscopy need not be expensive to implement, and can easily be provided on a desktop PC. This paper looks at the different options available today, from active stereo, to passive stereo, to autostereoscopic displays, and their deployment on both high-end and low-end systems. The potential benefits of these different approaches are illustrated with examples from medical visualisation projects currently being carried out at the Manchester Visualization Centre (MVC).