( CNN ) -- Humans can see 3-D images with only one eye , according to new research , suggesting a future in which the technology could become cheaper and more accessible . Simply looking through a small hole is enough to experience 3-D , says Dhanraj Vishwanath , a psychologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland . His research was published in the journal Psychological Science . The 3-D technology that 's currently used in movies and other media relies on two visual images , one from each eye , combining in the viewer 's brain to produce 3-D 's extra layer of depth . But Vishwanath 's research suggests that both eyes are n't needed . `` We have demonstrated experimentally , for the first time , that the same 'special way ' in which depth is experienced in 3D movies can also be experienced by looking at a normal picture with one eye viewing through a small aperture ( circular hole ) . `` While this effect has been known for a long time , it is usually dismissed , '' he said in a release from the university . `` Now we have shown that it is in fact real , and the perceptual results are exactly like stereoscopic 3D , the kind seen in 3D movies . '' In recent years , 3-D has become an emerging technology for blockbuster movies , video games , TV and other media . But it also causes headaches , dizziness and even nausea for as many as 10 % of the people who watch it . Some experts believe that cumbersome 3-D glasses are a primary reason why the technology has n't caught on with TV viewers . The St. Andrews researchers say that , with the approach they explored , people with only one eye or those with problems watching 3-D with both eyes could still experience its `` compelling '' effect . `` Many of these people do n't know what it means to see in 3D because they have never experienced it , '' Vishwanath said . `` Our findings and preliminary results suggest that our method could be used to allow people with misaligned eyes ... to experience what it is like to actually see in 3D . '' He said the study could have implications for movie producers and other industries . Vishwanath suggested that 3-D could one day be produced by dramatically increasing the resolution of images . That method would also decrease eye fatigue and some of the other side effects people report from wearing 3-D glasses . The St. Andrews team is now testing the theory with a larger group of subjects . They plan to release more findings on 3-D this year .
New research says viewing images through a small hole can produce a 3-D effect . University of St. Andrews team says the tech could change how movies are shown . Comment: