Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

03:56
A View of Their Own: Capturing the Egocentric View of Infants and Toddlers with Head-Mounted Cameras
Published on: October 5, 2018
Egocentric spaw representation in early vision.
A Pouget1, S A Fisher, T J Sejnowski
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and The Salk Institute.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 27, 2013
Summary
Neurons in the visual cortex respond differently based on gaze direction. Our neural network model suggests visual features are encoded in egocentric coordinates, challenging previous interpretations of visual processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Visual Processing
Background:
- Recent physiological experiments reveal gaze-direction modulation of neuronal responses in V1 and V3a.
- Previous psychophysical studies predominantly concluded feature representation in retinal coordinates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the hypothesis of egocentric (spatio-topic) coordinate encoding in early visual processing using a neural network model.
- To reconcile conflicting interpretations between physiological and psychophysical findings on visual coordinate systems.
Main Methods:
- Development of a neural network model simulating the visual cortex hierarchy.
- Analysis of model outputs to assess coordinate representations (retinal vs. retinospatiotopic).
Main Results:
- The model supports the encoding of visual features in egocentric coordinates at early visual processing stages.
- The model explains limitations of electrical stimulation experiments in distinguishing coordinate systems.
Conclusions:
- Visual features may be encoded in retinospatiotopic coordinates, a representation compatible with both physiological and psychophysical data.
- The study proposes new psychophysical predictions to validate the existence of retinospatiotopic representations.
Related Concept Videos
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.
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development
The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending...
Anatomy of the Eyeball
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,...
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Exploration...
Color Vision
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.

