A telestereoscope is an optical device that provides a three-dimensional view of a distant scene using two fields of view. It was invented by Hermann von Helmholtz and is used in optometry, astronomy, and art installations. The device takes advantage of human optics and is used in depth perception tests and scientific studies.
A telestereoscope is an optical device designed to present a three-dimensional view of a distant scene, sometimes called a binocular telescope because it offers a view of distant objects through both eyes. In addition to use in optometry, telesteroscopes may also be used in astronomical observatories, and at least one telestereoscope has appeared in one art installation. However, the basic mechanics of the device are the same in all cases. A telestereoscope uses two fields of view, rather than just one, to provide a three-dimensional image to the person viewing it. The experience of using a telestereoscope is similar to using a three-dimensional viewer or looking at a stereoscopic photograph.
The foundations for the telestereoscope were laid by Hermann von Helmholtz, an Austrian scientist who lived between 1821-1894. He was trained in medicine and physics and spent a lot of time studying optics. He invented the ophthalmoscope, a medical instrument that is used to examine the inside of the human eye. He also hypothesized color vision, the way humans see movement and depth perception. The telestereoscope was an optical device that he used to further his research.
A telestereoscope takes advantage of basic human optics. The human eye interprets images with the awareness that the distance between the eyes does not change. When someone looks at things in everyday life, they see a stereoscopic, or three-dimensional image, and the eyes create a sense of depth given the two images they are receiving. Depth perception is used as a visual cue to determine how far someone is from something. In the case of a telestereoscope, the viewer looks through periscopes that are further apart than normal human eyes. As the eyes struggle to interpret the images they are seeing, things that are far away suddenly seem very close and the image appears almost hyper-real, as the depth is distorted.
In optics, a telestereoscope is frequently used in depth perception tests, usually in a version that does not distort vision as much. Scientific studies of optical phenomena have also used telesteroscopes. In astronomical observing, a telestereoscope can be used to create a lush, rich image of a very distant point, although a telestereoscope is not a standard piece of observatory equipment, due to cost. As an art installation, a telestereoscope can be used to make a statement about the world around the viewer or to challenge conventional optical reality.
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