stereonäkö

Stereonäkö, also known as stereopsis or depth perception, is the binocular vision cue for perceiving depth and three-dimensional space. It arises from the slightly different angles at which each eye views an object. The brain receives these two slightly offset images and, through a process called binocular disparity, computes the difference between them to determine the relative distance of objects. This disparity is greatest for close objects and diminishes as objects get farther away.

The ability to perceive depth through stereonäkö is crucial for many activities, including navigating our environment, catching a ball, or performing delicate tasks. It allows us to judge distances accurately, avoid obstacles, and interact effectively with the three-dimensional world. While stereonäkö is a primary mechanism for depth perception, it works in conjunction with other monocular depth cues, such as relative size, occlusion, linear perspective, and texture gradient, to create a comprehensive understanding of spatial relationships.

Developmentally, stereonäkö typically emerges in infants and matures over the first few months of life. Conditions that affect binocular vision, such as strabismus (misaligned eyes) or amblyopia (lazy eye), can impair or prevent the development of normal stereonäkö. Many tests exist to assess the quality of stereoscopic vision, often involving the presentation of different images to each eye to gauge the brain's ability to fuse them and perceive depth.