Binocular response characterization of 3D light field displays using optical design simulations

3D light field displays (LFDs) can reproduce the main depth cues of human vision by reconstructing the spatio–angular light distribution of a scene. In integral imaging (InIm)-based 3D LFD, this reconstruction is achieved by combining a light source panel with a microlens array (MLA). However, optical aberrations induced by the MLA can degrade the light field quality, thereby altering the rendered depth cues. To better understand these effects, we introduce a new simulation-based framework that links field-dependent aberrations to binocular response by accounting for human visual system characteristics. Through the analysis of the wavefront curvature of individual elemental views, the proposed method quantifies and maps the visual performance of each eye across the full field of view. From these analyses, both monocular and binocular metrics are derived, enabling the evaluation of interocular behavior across different viewing angles and reconstruction depths. Through illustrative examples, we showed that field-dependent aberrations affect the binocular response and degrade its uniformity across the field of view. Based on tolerance criteria derived from the literature, we define an acceptability zone in which binocular performance is maintained. Supplementary analysis reveals that, under the super multi-view condition, visual aberrations primarily affect interocular disparities rather than the eye’s accommodative response. While experimental validation remains essential to confirm perceptual thresholds, the proposed framework provides an additional layer in the characterization process to assist and guide the design of better 3D LFDs by accounting for binocular perception.