The perception of form is one of the most basic functions of the visual system. Because motion and dynamic occlusions are ubiquitous in our environment, understanding how the human visual system computes the form of moving objects in the presence of occlusions is a fundamental problem in vision science. An analysis of dynamic aspects of vision shows that non-retinotopic computational principles and mechanisms are needed to compute the form of moving objects. We designate as """"""""non-retinotopic"""""""" those mechanisms that can generate perception of form in the absence of a retinotopic image. Indeed, perceptual data demonstrate that a retinotopic image is neither necessary nor sufficient for the perception of form. The broad long-term objective of this research is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying visual form perception under its natural dynamic conditions. In particular, we want to characterize non-retinotopic computational principles and mechanisms that allow the visual system to compute the form of moving objects. We hypothesize that a synergy between masking, perceptual grouping, and motion estimation mechanisms can provide a unified visual processing framework that can be applied to natural dynamic viewing conditions. We will address the following two specific aims.
Specific Aim 1 : Elucidate non-retinotopic mechanisms of dynamic form perception by using anorthoscopic perception. Anorthoscopic perception provides a clear demonstration of the existence of non- retinotopic mechanisms. Do such mechanisms also contribute to dynamic perception in the absence of occlusions? By using a stimulus paradigm, known as the Ternus-Pikler display, we have recently discovered a new illusion that shows non-retinotopic feature perception for moving objects in the absence of occlusions. We will use this paradigm to generalize non-retinotopic mechanisms to dynamic vision:
Specific Aim 2 : Elucidate the role of non-retinotopic mechanisms in dynamic form perception in the absence of occlusions by using variants of Ternus-Pikler displays.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed studies are expected to improve our understanding of how the human visual system works. This understanding can be instrumental in diagnosing, treating disorders of the visual system in particular, and the nervous system in general.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY018165-02
Application #
7895582
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IFCN-G (02))
Program Officer
Steinmetz, Michael A
Project Start
2009-08-01
Project End
2011-07-31
Budget Start
2010-08-01
Budget End
2011-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$256,535
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Houston
Department
Engineering (All Types)
Type
Schools of Engineering
DUNS #
036837920
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77204
Ö?men, Haluk; Ekiz, Onur; Huynh, Duong et al. (2013) Bottlenecks of motion processing during a visual glance: the leaky flask model. PLoS One 8:e83671
Clarke, Aaron M; Repnow, Marc; Ö?men, Haluk et al. (2013) Does spatio-temporal filtering account for nonretinotopic motion perception? Comment on Pooresmaeili, Cicchini, Morrone, and Burr (2012). J Vis 13:19
Agaoglu, Mehmet N; Herzog, Michael H; Ogmen, Haluk (2012) Non-retinotopic feature processing in the absence of retinotopic spatial layout and the construction of perceptual space from motion. Vision Res 71:10-7
Aydýýn, Murat; Herzog, Michael H; Ogmen, Haluk (2011) Barrier effects in non-retinotopic feature attribution. Vision Res 51:1861-71
Boi, Marco; Ogmen, Haluk; Herzog, Michael H (2011) Motion and tilt aftereffects occur largely in retinal, not in object, coordinates in the Ternus-Pikler display. J Vis 11:
Aydýýn, Murat; Herzog, Michael H; Ogmen, Haluk (2011) Attention modulates spatio-temporal grouping. Vision Res 51:435-46
Boi, Marco; Vergeer, Mark; Ogmen, Haluk et al. (2011) Nonretinotopic exogenous attention. Curr Biol 21:1732-7
O?men, Haluk; Herzog, Michael H (2010) The Geometry of Visual Perception: Retinotopic and Non-retinotopic Representations in the Human Visual System. Proc IEEE Inst Electr Electron Eng 98:479-492
Otto, Thomas U; Ogmen, Haluk; Herzog, Michael H (2010) Perceptual learning in a nonretinotopic frame of reference. Psychol Sci 21:1058-63
Shooner, Christopher; Tripathy, Srimant P; Bedell, Harold E et al. (2010) High-capacity, transient retention of direction-of-motion information for multiple moving objects. J Vis 10:8

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