A study on some optical illusions based upon the theory of inducing field

Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2006:2006:4205-8. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2006.259951.

Abstract

The study of optical illusion is an important method to elucidate the mechanism of visual perception. However, many details about the cause of optical illusions are still unclear. In this research, based on the characteristic of the physiological structure of the retina, we proposed an on-center receptive field model of the retina. Using this model, we simulated the distributions of the inducing field of some visual stimulus. Comparing to the past studies' results, the validity of the proposed model was proofed. Furthermore, we simulated the distributions of the inducing field of some typical illusions. The simulation results can explain these illusion phenomenon rationally. Therefore, it suggested that some of illusions are probably engendered by the distributions of the inducing field in the retina which generated by the illusions stimuli. The practicality of the proposed model was also verified.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Optic Nerve / physiology
  • Optical Illusions*
  • Retina / physiology*
  • Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / physiology
  • Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / physiology
  • Vision, Ocular / physiology*