The 'uniqueness constraint' and binocular masking.

In stereo-matching algorithms, the 'uniqueness constraint' requires that a feature in one stereo half-image be matched to, at most, one similar feature in the other half-image. Experiments are reported in which binocular contrast thresholds and depth-discrimination judgments have been used to determine whether the human stereo system makes unique matches. A single high-spatial-frequency target in the left eye was paired stereoscopically with two identical targets, presented near retinal correspondence (+/- 3.5 min of disparity), in the right eye. Contrast-increment thresholds were measured for each of the targets in the right eye, and it was found that the target in the left eye masked both. Indeed, the amount of binocular masking for each member of the double target nearly equaled the masking observed when only a single target was presented to the right eye. Depth judgments confirmed that the target in the left eye had been matched to both targets in the right eye. It is concluded that uniqueness is not an absolute constraint on human stereo matching.