A model for identifying the perceptual centre of polygons

Area of Science:

• * Cognitive Psychology
• * Computational Vision
• * Perception Science

Background:

• * Understanding how humans perceive geometric shapes is crucial in fields like computer vision and design.
• * Previous models often simplify shape perception, lacking a comprehensive approach to perceptual center determination.
• * The perceptual center, distinct from the geometric centroid, influences how shapes are visually processed and interpreted.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop a general computational model for perceptual center determination in flat figures.
• * To identify and describe the key perceptual operations involved in locating a shape's perceptual center.
• * To introduce a quantitative measure for the displacement of the perceptual center from the figure's area barycenter.

Main Methods:

• * Development of a general model outlining perceptual operations for center determination.
• * Analysis of figure orientation, size, base, and top-bottom axis.
• * Introduction of a quantitative measure for perceptual center displacement.

Main Results:

• * The model details steps including determining figure orientation, size, base, and top-bottom axis.
• * Anisotropy along a figure's main axes was found to displace the perceptual center towards the phenomenal top.
• * A quantitative measure was introduced to assess this displacement relative to the area barycenter.

Conclusions:

• * The proposed model offers a framework for understanding perceptual center determination in flat figures.
• * Figure anisotropy is a significant factor influencing the perceived center of a shape.
• * The quantitative measure provides a novel tool for analyzing shape perception and center displacement.