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Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

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At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
Color Vision01:24

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Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
Visual System01:26

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
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Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

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The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
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Second Order systems I

A servo system exemplifies a second-order system, featuring a proportional controller and load elements that ensure the output position aligns with the input position. The relationship between these components is described by a second-order differential equation. Applying the Laplace transform under zero initial conditions yields the transfer function, showing how inputs are converted to outputs in the system.
By reinterpreting the system, one can derive the closed-loop transfer function, which...

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Related Experiment Video

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Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

What is second-order vision for? Discriminating illumination versus material changes.

Andrew J Schofield1, Paul B Rock, Peng Sun

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. a.j.schofield@bham.ac.uk

Journal of Vision
|October 2, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human vision detects second-order contrast (CM) and amplitude (AM) modulations independently. These cues help disambiguate luminance changes, with their phase relationship determining perceived surface properties like shading or flatness.

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Area of Science:

  • Visual perception
  • Computational neuroscience
  • Image processing

Background:

  • The human visual system processes first-order luminance and second-order contrast (CM) and amplitude (AM) modulations.
  • Second-order cues are detected independently of luminance signals, but their functional role remains unclear.
  • Natural images often contain co-occurring first- and second-order cues with varying phase relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the perception of combined first- and second-order visual cues.
  • To explore the role of second-order vision in interpreting luminance modulations.
  • To develop a computational model explaining the integration of these cues.

Main Methods:

  • Presentation of novel visual stimuli with varying combinations and phase relationships of luminance modulation (LM) and amplitude modulation (AM).
  • Utilized a haptic matching task to quantify perceptual judgments.
  • Developed a computational model simulating visual processing through separate and combined orientation channels with contrast gain control.

Main Results:

  • In-phase combinations of LM and AM are perceived as shaded corrugated surfaces.
  • Anti-phase combinations are perceived as corrugated alone but as flat material changes in a plaid with in-phase cues.
  • The computational model successfully predicts these perceptual outcomes, with contrast gain control explaining the suppression of anti-phase cues.

Conclusions:

  • Second-order vision is crucial for disambiguating the origin of luminance changes in images.
  • The phase relationship between first- and second-order cues significantly influences perceived surface properties.
  • A computational model integrating separate first- and second-order channels explains visual perception of these complex cues.