Relationship Between Binocular Disparity and Motion Parallax in Surface Detection
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Perception & Psychophysics 1997,59 (3),370-380 Relationship between binocular disparity and motion parallax in surface detection JESSICATURNERand MYRON L, BRAUNSTEIN University ofCalifornia, Irvine, California and GEORGEJ. ANDERSEN University ofColifornia, Riverside, California The ability to detect surfaces was studied in a multiple-cue condition in which binocular disparity and motion parallax could specify independent depth configurations, On trials on which binocular disparity and motion parallax were presented together, either binocular disparity or motion parallax could indicate a surface in one of two intervals; in the other interval, both sources indicated a vol ume of random points. Surface detection when the two sources of information were present and compatible was not betterthan detection in baseline conditions, in which only one source of informa tion was present. When binocular disparity and motion specified incompatible depths, observers' ability to detect a surface was severely impaired ifmotion indicated a surface but binocular disparity did not. Performance was not as severely degraded when binocular disparity indicated a surface and motion did not. This dominance of binocular disparity persisted in the presence of foreknowledge about which source of information would be relevant. The ability to detect three-dimensional (3-D) surfaces action ofdepth cues in determining the perceived shape has been studied previously using static stereo displays of objects has been a subject of considerable attention. (e.g., Uttal, 1985), motion parallax displays (Andersen, Biilthoffand Mallot (1988) discussed four ways in which 1996; Andersen & Wuestefeld, 1993), and structure depth information from different cues may be combined: from-motion (SFM) displays (Turner, Braunstein, & An accumulation, veto, disambiguation, and cooperation. In dersen, 1995).1 This research has examined the signal-to accumulation, the depths computed from the various cues noise ratio required to detect a surface in the presence of are combined additively to provide an overall perceived added "noise" points in stereo displays of smooth, qua depth. Veto implies that the depth computed from one cue dratic surfaces (Uttal, 1985) and in motion parallax dis determines the perceived depth, overriding the depths plays of sinusoidal gratings (Andersen & Wuestefeld, computed from other cues. Disambiguation refers to the 1993). Other studies have considered the minimum num use ofinformation from one cue to disambiguate the depth ber ofpoints required to detect a smooth surface in motion information provided by another cue. In cooperation, the parallax displays (Andersen, 1996) as a function of fre effectiveness ofone cue can be enhanced by information quency and amplitude for sinusoidally corrugated sur from another cue, resulting in a combined depth that is faces and in SFM displays (Turner et aI., 1995) as a func greater than the sum ofthe depths provided by each cue tion of frequency and amplitude or of shape index and in isolation. Accumulation and veto are consistent with a curvedness (see Koenderink, 1990).This research has doc model ofcue combination in which depths are computed umented the ability ofhuman observers to detect a vari separately by each cue-that is, a strict modularity or ety of surfaces with a small number of feature points or weak fusion model. Disambiguation and cooperation, on with a small ratio offeature points to noise points, from the other hand, involve interactions ofthe cues prior to the either binocular disparity alone or motion alone. The in final depth computation and are not consistent with weak teraction ofbinocular disparity and motion in surface de fusion. Disambiguation and cooperation can occur in the tection, however, has not been previously investigated. absence of modularity-i-that is, with strong fusion-but Although the interaction ofbinocular disparity and mo they can also occur with modules that interact prior to tion has not been investigated in detection tasks, the inter- computing a final depth map but that still compute sepa rate depth maps. Landy, Maloney, Johnston, and Young This research was supported by National Science Foundation (1995) refer to this as modified weak fusion. Grants DBS-9209973, SBR-951 0431, and SBR-95 I 1198. Portions of All four types of interactions discussed by Biilthoff this research were presented at the 1995 meeting of the Association and Mallot (1988) have been found in research concerned for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. The authors are grateful to with recovering 3-D shape from combinations ofbinocu Jeffrey C. Liter, Asad Saidpour, and Matthew D. Turner. Correspon dence should be addressed to 1. Turner, Department ofCognitive Sci lar disparity and motion information. Johnston, Cumming, ences, School ofSocial Sciences, University ofCalifornia, Irvine, CA and Landy (1994) found that when binocular disparity 92717-5100 (e-mail: [email protected]). and motion parallax indicated different curvatures, the per- Copyright 1997 Psychonomic Society, Inc. 370 DETECTION OF SURFACES 371 ceived shape was a linear combination ofthe curvatures scattered in a volume. This combination provided the simulated, with the weights constrained to sum to one. "noise" condition for our detection experiments. Norman and Todd (1995) found that one source ofinfor In the three experiments presented here, the subject's mation would veto another when binocular disparity and task was to determine which oftwo sequentially presented motion indicated conflicting shapes, but the dominant displays contained information indicating the presence source varied between subjects. Binocular disparity was ofa smooth surface. In the first experiment, detection was the dominant source ofinformation for determining sur examined for binocular disparity and motion parallax face depth when placed in conflict with motion parallax separately and for the two sources of information in (Rogers & Collett, 1989). Motion information that was combination. The results of this experiment indicated a not compatible with the perceived shape was interpreted veto ofmotion information by binocular disparity when as relative motion within the surface. Tittle and Braun the two sources were present and only one indicated a stein (1993) found a cooperative relationship between smooth surface. The second and third experiments exam binocular disparity and SFM for transparent displays with ined two methods of improving surface detection when high disparity. For some conditions, judged depth from motion carried the surface information: providing a pre combined binocular disparity and SFM was greater than trial cue indicating whether disparity or motion would the sum ofthe judged depths with either cue alone. Landy carry the surface information on each trial, or presenting et al. (1995) interpreted this result in terms of changing the trials in blocks and informing the subject ofthe rele the weights within a linear-combination approach. The vant cue for each block. role of binocular disparity in disambiguating SFM dis plays has been the subject of both theoretical analyses EXPERIMENT 1 (Richards, 1985) and empirical investigations (Braunstein, Andersen, Rouse, & Tittle, 1986; Rouse, Tittle, & Braun In Experiment 1, we examined the interaction of bi stein, 1989). nocular disparity and motion information in determining In examining the relationship between binocular dis the accuracy ofsurface detection both when the two cues parity and motion parallax in the detection of smooth provided disparate information about the presence of a surfaces, we will consider three combinations ofinforma smooth surface and when the two cues provided corre tion from these cues. Each ofthese combinations will be sponding information. In a strict weak fusion model of compared with detection with each cue presented in iso cue interaction, the ability to register depth from one cue lation. First, both cues can indicate the presence ofa sur is independent ofthe information provided by other cues. face. In this case, the question ofinterest is how detection If the two cues create independent depth maps, and the from the combined information compares with detection decision process can work independently on the two depth from each cue separately. The possible outcomes are that maps, then performance when the two cues agree is pre (1) detection is enhanced over that found with either cue dicted by a probability-summation model. Ifthe probabil alone, (2) detection is no better than that found with either ity ofdetecting the surface using motion parallax infor cue separately (assuming that the effectiveness of the mation only is P(M), and the probability ofdetecting the separate cues is matched), or (3) detection is inferior to surface using disparity information only is P(S), and the that found with the separate cues. The first two outcomes two are independent, then the probability ofdetecting the could occur with any degree of modularity and would surface when both sources indicate the surface should be depend on the combination rules, with the second outcome P(M & S) = P(M) + P(S) - P(M) * P(S). To deter consistent with a "winner-take-all" or veto rule. The mine whether probability summation occurs for surface third outcome, although unlikely, would suggest a form detection from combined disparity and motion cues, we ofstrong fusion involving interference between the cues. included conditions in which only disparity information