Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 3, 2026

MPI CyberMotion Simulator: Implementation of a Novel Motion Simulator to Investigate Multisensory Path Integration in Three Dimensions
Published on: May 10, 2012
Rotational and translational components of motion parallax: observers' sensitivity and implications for
M K Kaiser1, M J Montegut, D R Proffitt
1National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA. moose@eos.arc.nasa.gov
Abstract:
The motion of objects during motion parallax can be decomposed into 2 observer-relative components: translation and rotation. The depth ratio of objects in the visual field is specified by the inverse ratio of their angular displacement (from translation) or equivalently by the inverse ratio of their rotations. Despite the equal mathematical status of these 2 information sources, it was predicted that observers would be far more sensitive to the translational than rotational component. Such a differential sensitivity is implicitly assumed by the computer graphics technique billboarding, in which 3-dimensional (3-D) objects are drawn as planar forms (i.e., billboards) maintained normal to the line of sight. In 3 experiments, observers were found to be consistently less sensitive to rotational anomalies. The implications of these findings for kinetic depth effect displays and billboarding techniques are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Planar Rigid-Body Motion
Planar motion is typically divided into three distinct categories. The first is rectilinear translation, demonstrated by a subway train that moves along...
Rotational Motion about a Fixed Axis
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes
However, to express the relative position of point B relative to point A, an additional frame of reference, denoted as x'y', is necessary. This additional frame not only translates but also rotates relative to the fixed frame, making it instrumental in...
Equations of Motion: Rectangular Coordinates and Cylindrical Coordinates
When a particle moves relative to an inertial frame, the equations of motion can be expressed using rectangular components. If the motion is confined to the x-y plane, the equations having the x and y coordinates only can be used to simplify the mathematical representation.
However, when particles...
Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes - Acceleration
Time differentiation is...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

