Psychophysical evaluation of the Helmholtz–Kohlrausch effect using virtual reality head mounted displays
Ujjayanta Bhaumik, Frédéric Leloup · Optics Continuum · 2025
The Helmholtz–Kohlrausch effect is a well-known phenomenon which defines that for a chromatic stimulus with constant luminance, an increase in chroma is accompanied by an increase in perceived brightness. Many studies on the Helmholtz–Kohlrausch effect have been performed on conventional displays in the past. Yet, the advent of virtual reality provides new opportunities to explore the effect in immersive media. In this paper, the Helmholtz–Kohlrausch effect is investigated using a commercially available head mounted display, the Meta Quest 2. Three psychophysical experiments were conducted, in which observers estimated the brightness of chromatic stimuli in a 2D and 3D context. Based on the results, the suitability of different models for capturing the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect is assessed.