At what stage of human development does depth perception begin to develop?

Depth perception begins to develop in early infancy, which is supported by research indicating that infants start to exhibit signs of depth perception as early as a few months after birth. This development is influenced by several factors, including visual acuity, visual experience, and the ability to perceive size and distance. Newborns initially have limited visual capabilities, but as their visual systems mature, they begin to employ various cues, such as binocular disparity (the difference between the two eyes' views) and monocular cues (such as size and texture gradient), to interpret the world in three dimensions.

Experimental studies using methods like the visual cliff experiment demonstrate that infants can perceive depth and show signs of depth perception when they are around 3 to 6 months old. These findings illustrate that by early infancy, babies are already starting to understand spatial relationships, which is crucial for navigation and interaction with their environment.