Color Constancy in Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Scenes: Effects of Viewing Methods and Surface Texture.

Takuma Morimoto,Steven L Buck,Yoko Mizokami,Hirohisa Yaguchi

doi:10.1177/2041669517743522

Abstract

There has been debate about how and why color constancy may be better in three-dimensional (3-D) scenes than in two-dimensional (2-D) scenes. Although some studies have shown better color constancy for 3-D conditions, the role of specific cues remains unclear. In this study, we compared color constancy for a 3-D miniature room (a real scene consisting of actual objects) and 2-D still images of that room presented on a monitor using three viewing methods: binocular viewing, monocular viewing, and head movement. We found that color constancy was better for the 3-D room; however, color constancy for the 2-D image improved when the viewing method caused the scene to be perceived more like a 3-D scene. Separate measurements of the perceptual 3-D effect of each viewing method also supported these results. An additional experiment comparing a miniature room and its image with and without texture suggested that surface texture of scene objects contributes to color constancy.

Highlights

We tend to perceive the surface color of an object consistently despite changes in scene illumination
We found that color constancy for the 2-D scene improved for monocular viewing even though the scene was not an actual 3-D scene
The generality of our conclusion is yet to be determined beyond the types of scenes tested here, this study suggests that color constancy is influenced by perceived scene dimensionality

Summary

Introduction

We tend to perceive the surface color of an object consistently despite changes in scene illumination. Mizokami, Ikeda, and Shinoda (2004) and Phuangsuwan, Ikeda, and Katemake (2013) indicated that color constancy could be improved if a photograph is perceived as a 3-D scene by means of a dimension-up viewing box This tool is a black box into which the observer inserts his or her head and views a 2-D picture monocularly through a rectangular window, with no visible surrounding 3-D structure. This removes binocular-disparity cues from the image, which could otherwise give information that the photograph is a flat surface, and enhances observers’ perception of the picture as a 3-D scene Their results suggest that color constancy can be improved even if the scene is not an actual 3-D scene. These prior studies support the idea that color constancy is better in 3-D scenes than in 2-D scenes

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion