An Evaluation of Perceptual Depth to Enhance Change Detection

Two experiments investigated the effect of perceptual depth as a cue to highlight unexpected or changing stimuli. We used a new display technology known as a Multi-Layered Display (MLD). The results of the first experiment showed a significant effect of depth on the detection of an unexpected event when it is located in the front layer regardless of the depth plane in which the distracters were located. Detection was three times higher when the unexpected event was located less than 20 degrees of visual angle from the focus of attention. The second experiment indicated that the depth cue, although slower than the colour transient, presented the highest accuracy. The results suggested that depth may not always be the best transient to highlight changes, however, in cases where colour and flashing are no longer appropriate, the use of depth is a viable alternative.