A system and method for calibrating a stereo optical see-through HMD
(head-mounted display). A preferred method integrates measurement for an
optical see-through HMD and a six degrees of freedom tracker that is
fixedly attached to the HMD to perform calibration. Calibration is based
on the alignment of a stereoscopically fused marker image, which is
perceived in depth, with a single 3D reference point in a world coordinate
system from various viewpoints. The user interaction to perform the
calibration is extremely easy compared to conventional methods and does
not require keeping the head static during the calibration process. In one
aspect, a method for calibrating a stereo HMD comprises the steps of
displaying a 2-dimensional marker image on each eye display of the stereo
HMD for view by a user, wherein the 2-dimensional marker images are
displayed with an offset so as to induce a 3-dimensional marker that is
perceived by the user as being at a distance away from the user; aligning
the 3-dimensional marker image with a preselected reference point;
collecting calibration data associated with the alignment; and computing a
model of the HMD using the collected calibration data.
