Visual orientation by motion-produced blur patterns: detection of divergence.

Abstract

Blur patterns are physiological “streaks” of photochemical and neural activity that occur whenever an observer and his visual environment are in relative motion. When retinal velocities are high, the impression of visual “flow” gives way to one of a field of “blur lines” whose patterns are rich with information about the motions and the optical textures that produced them. Simulated blur patterns were produced and thresholds measured for the detection of divergence at nine retinal loci. Sensitivity was somewhat greater in the central retina. Thresh-olds remained the same despite variations in pattern velocity, number of elements, and the presence or absence of an internal velocity gradient. Observers were able to orient above-threshold patterns, but consistently underestimated the amount of slant.