10/18/2012

Chapter 7: Processing the Image

Review structure of the Lateral Inhibition

eye Edge enhancement
Lightness contrast
Review structure of the Optical Illusions
retina

Review receptive fields

Apply to an image on the
retina
Usage in fine art

The Human Visual System

The photoreceptors turn light into electrical

signals

The nerve cells in the retina do some low level

image processing

Then transmit the signal to the optic nerve and

the brain

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Review Structure of Eye

Structure of the Retina

Light

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Concept Question

The image that illuminates your retina is not the same

thing as the image that your brain receives. Why is this?

A. The lens and cornea distort the image

B. The nerve cell system does low-level image processing
C. The photoreceptors record the image inaccurately

Structure of Retina
Cones (large dots)

Rods (small dots)

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Receptive Fields: Retina

Excitatory
regions

Inhibitory
regions

Nerve Cell Structure

Ganglion Cell Light

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Receptive Field on the Retina

The size of the

receptors and the
receptive field are
shown here much
larger than actual
size!

Image on the Retina

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Image on the Receptive Fields

Lateral Inhibition: Example

Here we have zoomed the image to get a more reasonable size for
the receptive fields

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Lateral Inhibition: Example

Some inhibitory
region is illuminated,
response decreased

Lateral Inhibition: Example

Receptive field uniformly

illuminated, response is
unchanged

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Lateral Inhibition: Example

Entire excitatory region
illuminated, part of
inhibitory region not
illuminated, response
increased

For this receptive field, is the response

A. Increased
B. Decreased
C. Unchanged

Lateral Inhibition: Example

Entire excitatory region
illuminated, most of
inhibitory region is
illuminated, response only
slightly increased

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Lateral Inhibition: Example

For this receptive field, is the response
A. Increased
B. Decreased
C. Unchanged

Very little excitatory

region illuminated,
some inhibitory region
illuminated, response
slightly decreased

Lateral Inhibition: Results

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Seurat: Original Painting

Seurat: With Edges Adjusted

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El Greco: Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

Background gets darker

right before edge

Simultaneous Lightness Contrast

Occurs when the lightness of an area is influenced

by neighboring regions
Our perception of lightness is not objective, but
depends on the surrounding area
The center square on the right looks lighter
because the surrounding area is a darker gray

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Simultaneous Lightness Contrast

The effect is more pronounced if you stare at the

x so the squares are in your peripheral vision
This is because lateral inhibition acts over greater
distances in the peripheral areas of the retina
X

Lateral Inhibition & Edge Enhancement

X

Which of the disks is lighter?

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Lateral Inhibition & Edge Enhancement

Notice that the right circle disappears if you look
at it in your peripheral vision. This is because
the edge is not very sharp

Hermann Grid Illusion

You should see dark spots at the intersections

between the white lines

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Hermann Grid Illusion

Which receptive field sends a larger signal to the brain?

A)
B)

Hermann Grid Illusion: Explanation

When the image is on the first receptive field there is more light
falling on the surround (inhibitory) than in the second position
So there is more suppression and the illusion of a dark spot at the
first location

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Hermann Grid: Reversed

You should now see light spots at the

intersections between the black lines

More Illusions

Each vertical band

has equal light
intensity across its less inhibition
(looks lighter)
width.
However the left side
of each bar appears
darker than the right
side due to lateral
inhibition at the
more inhibition
edges (looks darker)

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Image Processing: Edge Cues

We rely on edges for information about uniform regions in-
between
This processing cues the brain to make generalizations which
may not be objectively correct

We process (distort reality) by generalizing the edge contrast

conclusion to the non-edge regions.
We jump to a conclusion or fill in based on edge information

Successive Lightness Contrast

In simultaneous lightness contrast, a signal

received at a different place in your receptive
field inhibits response.

In successive lightness contrast, a signal received

at one time inhibits response in the receptive
field a later time.

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Successive Lightness Contrast

We know from dark adaptation that the

sensitivity of the retina changes depending on the
intensity of light hitting it.

Prolonged or intense stimulation by an image on

the retina desensitizes those parts of retina.

Those parts of the retina have a weaker response

to subsequent stimulation.

Negative Afterimages
Stare at the black dot in the center of the left image
for about 30 seconds, then look at the dot on the
right.

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Negative Afterimages

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