Dara Feller Optical Illusions

In my generation, 3D movies and further technology are all part of how we grew up. I vividly remember seeing Sharkboy and Lava Girl in 3D in the theater. I held onto my blue and red lens glasses afterward, completely blown away by the technology. Nowadays, you can walk into Disneyland and experience 3D animation beyond the average person’s technical comprehension. 3D technology is not a new or high-tech concept. Charles Wheatstone created a 3D simulation in the 19th century that involved placing two similar images side by side. The viewer would be required to cross their eyes to view the composite image, but the result would be three-dimensional as the brain would compensate for the differences between the two pictures. The next iteration of Wheatstone’s process was the Stereoscope (invented in the late 19th/ early 20th century). The stereoscope utilized a lens that would merge the two images for the viewer, therefore leaving less strain on their eyes. 

The next development in 3D technology is Anaglyph 3D-- the iconic red/blue flimsy plastic glasses that peppered movie theaters for the majority of the early 2000s. The anaglyph technology consists of a red and cyan version of the original image, slightly offset from the original. The red and cyan converge in the image once the red lens is over the left eye and cyan on the right. The result is that the brain makes up for the space in the middle that both eyes can’t see-- i.e., the left side can’t see the red and the right can’t see the cyan. Since the images are slightly offset, the brain includes the middle parts that aren’t even there. Anaglyphs are used in images and films alike, however, nowadays they are a less-progressive technology. The anaglyph is now used pretty exclusively as a photoshop edit. In the past, however, the picture would have been taken from three slightly different angles (left, right, and center). The photos would have been transferred into red, cyan, and black and white for the three perspectives (respectively to the previous list). Luckily in the computer age, the process is much simpler. 

Nowadays, the newest 3D tech is polarized glasses. These work in conjunction with film, when the same scene is shot from two slightly different angles. The glasses ensure that each scene is only seen by one eye each, therefore simulating a physical presence within the scenes. The way your eyes detect your surroundings on left and right when you’re standing in a room, the glasses filter the sides of the screen to replicate this experience. Polarized glasses are what theme parks (like Disneyland) use on their rides and simulated experiences. As of now, polarized glasses are the most advanced technology for 3D images and film.