Abstract

This paper presents the results of measurements and analyses of the primary components that affect display system resolution. These components include sampling rate (angular pixel pitch), anti-aliasing filter width (sampling aperture), line spread function, image remapping (warp), lens blur, projection screen, and scattered light. The relative influence of each of these components on system performance is described.

With the CRT-based systems that were pervasive a decade ago, system performance was significantly limited by components such as CRT spot size, video amplifier bandwidth, and lens blurring. The performance of these components is well described using the modulation transfer-based metrics adapted from the field of optical engineering for non-sampled imaging systems. Since these projector components were primary determinants of system resolution, these measurements were a useful correlate of user performance for training display systems.

In recent years, digital display systems have come to dominate and CRT-based systems are being replaced at a rapid pace. With the newer digital display systems the traditional resolution limiters have been reduced to nearly inconsequential levels and variables such as spatial sampling, artifacts, anti-aliasing, and digital warping have become relatively more influential. Additionally, the use of substantially higher pixel counts has pushed the performance of these new systems closer to “observerlimited” performance than the systems they replace.

To accommodate these system design trends, the metrics and measurements used to evaluate system performance need to account for sampling-related characteristics if they are to remain good correlates of training task performance. Additionally, these metrics and measurements need to account for the visual capability of the observers who will use these systems.