Colour vision in marsupials. The ability to distinguish colours is a crucial aspect of vision, providing vital data for sexual selection, predator detection and food acquisition. Studies of mammalian colour vision have largely overlooked marsupials. Our recent investigation of spectral sensitivity in two Australian species revealed a colour discrimination capacity beyond that of placentals (excluding primates), implying disparate evolutionary pressures in the two groups. We will provide the fi ....Colour vision in marsupials. The ability to distinguish colours is a crucial aspect of vision, providing vital data for sexual selection, predator detection and food acquisition. Studies of mammalian colour vision have largely overlooked marsupials. Our recent investigation of spectral sensitivity in two Australian species revealed a colour discrimination capacity beyond that of placentals (excluding primates), implying disparate evolutionary pressures in the two groups. We will provide the first comprehensive description of colour vision in marsupials, studying species with differing rhythmicities, habitats and diets. Wavelength sensitivity and molecular structure of retinal visual pigments will be assessed in relation to evolutionary influences and ecological demands.
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Using shape change for object perception: human and artificial vision. This project aims to examine the steps taken by the visual system to code the shape of objects, including those that change shape over time. The project seeks to employ experiments assessing human vision and machine learning techniques to examine these codes and, in particular, focus on the advantages of a system that exaggerates shape change over time. Expected outcomes include an improved shape code based on superior human ....Using shape change for object perception: human and artificial vision. This project aims to examine the steps taken by the visual system to code the shape of objects, including those that change shape over time. The project seeks to employ experiments assessing human vision and machine learning techniques to examine these codes and, in particular, focus on the advantages of a system that exaggerates shape change over time. Expected outcomes include an improved shape code based on superior human performance that can have many applications in automated visual systems. This project can directly benefit the animation industries where the creation of realistic movement of humans and animals remains a computationally intensive challenge.Read moreRead less
Neural metrics for space time and numerosity. What we propose is ground-breaking research. It will increase Australia's international competitiveness is science, expand the knowledge base of brain function and psychology and provide valuable training for research scientists.
Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of ....Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of Australia's unique fauna, presenting social and economic assets for the local and national community, and will set a standard that should be applied world-wide. Close international links and intellectual exchange will be invaluable to the Australian science community, including students.
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Characterising and linking intermediate-level processing of pattern, motion and position in human vision? This work will advance basic science by enhancing understanding of human coding of image structure. The aim is to provide a common structure for understanding visual processing of form, motion and position. The work will help lift the international profile of Australian science. Explaining how the primitives for shape perception are extracted will also have consequences of potential economic ....Characterising and linking intermediate-level processing of pattern, motion and position in human vision? This work will advance basic science by enhancing understanding of human coding of image structure. The aim is to provide a common structure for understanding visual processing of form, motion and position. The work will help lift the international profile of Australian science. Explaining how the primitives for shape perception are extracted will also have consequences of potential economic benefit. One important aspect is the design of displays that allow observers to absorb complex information about rapidly changing situations. This work has the potential to provide information that enables display designers to optimise the efficiency of presentation of pattern and motion information.Read moreRead less
How the human visual system uses pattern information to organize motion. This project is an investigation into human vision, a priority area for ARC. Its aim is to discover how photons from moving objects leave traces in the human visual system that assist it to determine the path of local motion and the structure of global motion. Its theoretical significance is that it will lead to substantial revisions of current models of human visual processing. Its practical significance is that it will pr ....How the human visual system uses pattern information to organize motion. This project is an investigation into human vision, a priority area for ARC. Its aim is to discover how photons from moving objects leave traces in the human visual system that assist it to determine the path of local motion and the structure of global motion. Its theoretical significance is that it will lead to substantial revisions of current models of human visual processing. Its practical significance is that it will provide a theoretical basis for the design of display systems that are more effective in conveying information about motion to human observers and eliminate errors inherent in existing systems.Read moreRead less
Applying the Psychologist's Microelectrode to High-Level Vision: What face aftereffects can tell us about face processing. Aftereffects, the psychologist's microelectrode, can show how our visual experience relates to neural activity. In the well-known waterfall illusion, neurons coding downwards motion become fatigued while watching a waterfall, making stationary objects on the riverbank appear to move upwards. Viewing a face for a few seconds can have a similar effect, causing a previously ....Applying the Psychologist's Microelectrode to High-Level Vision: What face aftereffects can tell us about face processing. Aftereffects, the psychologist's microelectrode, can show how our visual experience relates to neural activity. In the well-known waterfall illusion, neurons coding downwards motion become fatigued while watching a waterfall, making stationary objects on the riverbank appear to move upwards. Viewing a face for a few seconds can have a similar effect, causing a previously neutral or average face to take on the opposite identity. Here we explore what this and other face afterffects can tell us about how faces are coded in high level vision.Read moreRead less
Form and motion interactions in human motion perception. Vision works efficiently to detect the motion of both ourselves and other objects by combining motion and pattern information. This project will determine how the visual system achieves this and also create a detailed model that will be directly applicable to areas ranging from clinical neuropsychology to the analysis and design of visual displays.
Decoding the process of holistic shape encoding in the human visual system. The visual coding of shape is an important stage in object perception and yet we currently do not fully understand how shapes are encoded by the brain. This project aims to discover the cues used by the visual system to holistically represent shape and to explore the functional interactions between the cortical regions responsible for this task.
Coding of Shape in Human Vision. This project aims to improve understanding of how the shape of objects is encoded in human vision. Knowing the shape of an object is critical for interacting with it appropriately. This project aims to study the human ability to convert local patches of light into a coherent shape description and will determine how a recently identified cue, representing the distribution of features in a shape, is used by the visual system to perform this task. The resulting desc ....Coding of Shape in Human Vision. This project aims to improve understanding of how the shape of objects is encoded in human vision. Knowing the shape of an object is critical for interacting with it appropriately. This project aims to study the human ability to convert local patches of light into a coherent shape description and will determine how a recently identified cue, representing the distribution of features in a shape, is used by the visual system to perform this task. The resulting description of shape coding, based on human vision, will help design methods for both efficiently encoding images in artificial vision systems and for creating images of objects for display.Read moreRead less