Perceived orientation of axis of rotation in structure-from-motion

J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1998 Apr;24(2):609-21. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.24.2.609.

Abstract

Perceived orientation of axis of rotation and accuracy in discriminating fixed-axis from nonfixed-axis rotations were investigated for orthographic projections of three-dimensional rotating objects. The principal findings were (a) the slant of the axis of rotation was systematically misperceived; (b) in both two-view and multiview displays, the perceived slant of the axis of rotation was well-predicted by the ratio between the deformation (a property of the first-order optic flow) and the component parallel to the image plane of the global velocity vector; (c) if this ratio was kept constant in each frame transition of the stimulus sequence (or it was varied), then the stimuli tended to be judged as fixed-axis rotations (or as nonfixed-axis rotations), regardless of whether they simulated a fixed-axis rotation or not; and (d) the tilt of the axis of rotation was perceived in two-view displays with a very small error.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention*
  • Depth Perception*
  • Discrimination Learning
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imagination
  • Male
  • Motion Perception*
  • Optical Illusions*
  • Orientation*
  • Psychophysics