Comparison of optical see-through and video see-through schemes in augmented reality display technology

Augmented Reality (AR) technology presents real environments and digital information simultaneously to people in an unprecedented way, becoming a key direction for the development of current information technology and industry, as well as a research hotspot. Display technology is one of the keys to AR technology, and the choice of display scheme determines the quality of the fusion of reality and virtuality under different application conditions. There are two display schemes for augmented reality, the Optical See-Through (OST) and the Video See-Through (VST). In the paper, the imaging principles of two kinds of display schemes are introduced briefly. Comparisons were made of the two scheme in terms of real-world resolution, image quality, Field of View (FOV), occlusion effect, brightness and brightness matching control, latency, registration information. The advantages and disadvantages of each scheme are discussed. The applicable fields and main directions for improvement of two schemes are analyzed. It is hoped that this paper can provide assistance in the selection and development of augmented reality display schemes.