Optical Flow and Texture Variables Useful in Detecting Decelerating and Accelerating Self-Motion.
Abstract
The two experiments presented in this report are part of a program that has the goals of mathematically isolating global optical candidates for self-motion information and of empirically assessing their usefulness. The first experiment tested sensitivity to loss in speed and demonstrated that (a) increasing fractional loss was easier to detect than invariant fractional loss, (b) the optimal optical texture density was one ground unit per eyeheight (altitude unit), (c) optimal combinations of flow deceleration and flow rate were found, but differ slightly with level of fractional loss in flow rate, and (d) males were more accurate than females. The second experiment separated flow-rate and edge-rate variables and tested for sensitivity to gain in speed with the following results: (a) sensitivity to flow-rate gain was independent of sensitivity to edge-rate gain, (b) the influences of initial flow rate and initial edge rate were independent, (C) sensitivity to edge-rate gain increased with event duration, (d) illusory edge-rate information was more salient than veridical flow-rate information, and (e) some individuals were more flow-rate dependent, some more edge-rate dependent, but no sex difference was observed. Theoretical implications for the ecological approach to the study of perception and for the study of information specifying mechanisms are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA148718
Entities
People
- D. H. Owen
Organizations
- Ohio State University