Temporal sensitivity and Motion Temporal flicker sensitivity

If the system is linear how do we use linear systems theory?

Temporal flicker sensitivity

Sensitivity to flickering light (Wilkens)

Early film Persistence

24 frames/second - due to limits on the speed of film
film flickered Turn a spot on then off
How much light do you need to see it?
Episcotister - shows each frame 3 times How briefly can it be on?
72 frames/sec

But motion is still at 24 frames/sec

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Persistence Persistence

Turn a spot on then off Turn a spot on then off

How much light do you need to see it? How much light do you need to see it?
How briefly can it be on? How briefly can it be on?
Intensity

Intensity
Time What matters is the total amount
of light

Intensity
Time x intensity > Threshold
Time

Persistence Persistence

Turn a spot on then off Turn a spot on then off

How much light do you need to see it? How much light do you need to see it?
How briefly can it be on? How briefly can it be on?
Intensity

Intensity

What matters is the total amount What matters is the total amount
of light of light
Intensity

Intensity

Time x intensity > Threshold Time x intensity > Threshold

As long as time < 100 msecs

Time Time

Persistence Persistence

But 100 msecs is a long time Receptive fields integrate in the direction of motion

Relatively slow movement should appear blurred Burr, Ross and Marrone (1986)
(e.g., like night cameras) Briefly presented moving (16 deg/sec) dots
appear blurred if the presentation is faster
than 100 msecs. Past 100 msecs moving dots
appear sharper.

Propose that this involves motion selective

neurons integrating across time and
space
Takes 100 msecs to engage.

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Low threshold for motion Low threshold for motion
without reference without reference
10 to 20 minutes of arc/sec 10 to 20 minutes of arc/sec
with reference with reference
1-2 minutes of arc/sec 1-2 minutes of arc/sec

Autokinetic effect
In the dark, without reference, small lights may
appear to move (e.g., a single star in the night sky).

Sometimes used as a psychological test

Low threshold for motion

without reference
10 to 20 minutes of arc/sec
with reference
1-2 minutes of arc/sec

Autokinetic effect
In the dark, without reference, small lights may
appear to move (e.g., a single star in the night sky).

Induced motion
Change the reference/background and the object
may appear to move
(e.g., moon or star in the clouds)

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 High threshold for motion
How fast can something move and still be visible?

Spatiotemporal thresholds
High threshold for motion
How fast can something move and still be visible?

Depends on the stimulus. What aspects?

High threshold for motion

How fast can something move and still be visible?

Depends on the stimulus. What aspects?

Up to 2 degrees/sec - full acuity

Past 2 degrees/sec
Velocity x (highest visible frequency) = constant

Acuity drops with increasing frequency

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 Change Blindness
Our visual system relies on temporal
signals to identify change.

Five ways to make a spot appear to move

Motion aftereffect
1. Move the dot Changes the balance between neurons selective to motion
in the directions away from and in the direction of the
2. Adapt to motion then observe the dot adapting motion.

Can result in under- estimation of speed

3. Autokinetic: Observer the dot without references
Can result in errors in direction of motion
4. Induced motion: move the reference frame

5. Stroboscopic motion: flash successive dots

Motion aftereffect
Five ways to make a spot appear to move

1. Move the dot

2. Adapt to motion then observe the dot

3. Autokinetic: Observer the dot without references

4. Induced motion: move the reference frame

5. Stroboscopic motion: flash successive dots

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 Short range apparent motion
At short distances and fast frame rates apparent
motion is equivalent to real motion.
The limits of temporal and spatial resolution
makes them indistinguishable.
Three solutions to sampling problem
1. Speed up projection rate:
Problem: helps flicker but not fast motion
Three solutions to sampling problem
1. Speed up projection rate:
Problem: helps flicker but not fast motion
2. Speed up filming rate and projection rate
Problem: requires more film
requires new technology
3. Spatio-temporal anti-aliasing
Three solutions to sampling problem
1. Speed up projection rate:
Problem: helps flicker but not fast motion
2. Speed up filming rate and projection rate
Problem: requires more film
requires new technology
Spatio-temporal anti-aliasing
With frame rates low relative to velocity, sampling
artifacts become visible.
Acuity drops with retinal velocity
Blurring in direction of motion (e.g., leaving shutter open)
can reduce the sampling artifacts. This involves
considerably more work in computer graphics.
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Long range apparent motion Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists

Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists

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 Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists

Wertheimer and the Gestalt Psychologists

Ternus effect
Long range apparent motion

Neurons in visual cortex show direction

selectivity but can this selectivity account
for long range apparent motion?

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Ternus effect Ternus effect

Ternus effect Ternus effect

Without Bridge

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Bridge

10
Wall

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Video
Biological motion
Johansson (1973, 1975) point light walkers
Static images provide little information
Moving images with lights on major joints provide
a rich description
Cutting and Koslowski (1978)
Can tell the sex and age of walkers
Shoulder and hip differences in movement
Infants at four months can differentiate biological versus
non-biological movement (Pinto and Bertanthal, 1994)
Extremely sensitive to errors in biological motion
Structure from motion
The assumption of rigid motion
The visual system searches for rigid
solution
Johansson (1973) - two dots moving - find a
three dimensional interpretation
Video
Biological motion
Johansson (1973, 1975) point light walkers
Static images provide little information
Moving images with lights on major joints provide
a rich description
Viviani (1982, 1992)
Observers are quite accurate at detecting biological versus non-
biological motion even with simple scribbles
Speed is inversely related to curvature with biological motion
(However, judged speed appears constant when that
rule is followed).
Biological motion minimizes acceleration changes
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 Naive Physics (or cartoon physics)
Dropping ball while moving - where does the ball go?
McClosky (1983)
Ball projected out of a curved tube…

Naive Physics (or cartoon physics) Naive Physics (or cartoon physics)
Dropping ball while moving - where does the ball go? Dropping ball while moving - where does the ball go?
McClosky (1983) McClosky (1983)
Ball projected out of a curved tube… Ball projected out of a curved tube…

1/3 of college students predict 1/3 of college students predict

it will continue along a it will continue along a
curved path curved path

Students performed much

better when animated

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