Vision science and technology for supervised intelligent space robots

The focus of recent work in robotic vision for application in intelligent space robots such as the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Retriever is in visual function, that is, how information about the space world is derived and then conveyed to cognition. The goal of this work in visual function is first to understand how the relevant structure of the surrounding world is evidenced by regularities among the pixels of images, then to understand how these regularities are mapped on the premises that form the primitive elements of cognition, and then to apply these understandings with the elements of visual processing (algorithms) and visual mechanism (machine organization) to intelligent space robot simulations and test beds. Since visual perception is the process of recognizing regularities in images that are known on the basis of a model of the world to be reliable related to causal structure in the environment (because perception attaches meaning to the link between a conception of the environment and the objective environment), the work involves understanding generic, generally applicable models of world structure (not merely objects) and how that structure evidences itself in images

Vision Science and Technology at NASA: Results of a Workshop

A broad review is given of vision science and technology within NASA. The subject is defined and its applications in both NASA and the nation at large are noted. A survey of current NASA efforts is given, noting strengths and weaknesses of the NASA program

Adaptive Optical Devices in Vision Science

In this thesis we investigate the use of adaptive optical devices in three different areas of vision science. These areas are defocus perception, retinal imaging and severe vision loss. Birefringent material has been utilised to produce optical components that can control the angle of refraction of incident light. Using a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) the orientation of linear polarised light can be controlled. This provides us with the ability to switch between the two refractive indices of birefringent materials at very high speeds. A focus switchable lens (FSL) has been made from barium borate (BBO), and a ferroelectric liquid crystal to switch between equal and opposite defocus levels to determine the optimum focus correction by making use of the human eye's sensitivity to flicker. Flicker simulation result indicate that there is a high dependence of flicker sensitivity to the flicker frequency. High spatial frequencies also increased the ability to perceive small defocus shifts. Promising results have been obtained showing a person is able to find a point of equal defocus using flicker more accurately than they would be able to find perfect focus. The same focus switching lens system has the ability to produce fast focus switching cameras. Its potential has been analysed for the use in retinal cameras to ease the process of obtaining good quality images of the optic nerve and providing such cameras with the ability to switch focus within the depth of the optic nerve head at high speeds. Simulation results showed that two FSLs positioned within the zoom system of the imaging arm are able to create focal point shifts of very small amounts. Finally, collaborative research has been conducted in the use of a birefringent prism in conjunction with an FLC to create image jitter that can enhance visual performance in people with severe visual impairment. Image jitter created on-screen and via an optical system was tested. Patients were able to increase their reading speed and improve their ability to discriminate between happy and sad faces

Fenomenologia teorica e sperimentale e scienza della visione

In this theoretical paper, the claim is defended that the phenomenology of perception can be integrated into vision science. Varieties of theoretical and experimental phenomenology are presented to specify a minimal set of commitments. It is claimed that the phenomenological research into perception, be it delivered in the form of conceptual analysis or of experimental research, satisfies the epistemological and methodological substantive features of these commitments. A received view in the visual neurosciences and the objections against its elementarwise and reductionist stance are presented as an empirical case for the contribution that the integration of phenomenology into vision science could bring about. The relationships among models and mechanisms are discussed. It is argued that models endowed with linking propositions with phenomenological contents can provide the conceptual case for the integration of phenomenology into vision science to be carried out

Perception of Motion and Architectural Form: Computational Relationships between Optical Flow and Perspective

Perceptual geometry refers to the interdisciplinary research whose objectives focuses on study of geometry from the perspective of visual perception, and in turn, applies such geometric findings to the ecological study of vision. Perceptual geometry attempts to answer fundamental questions in perception of form and representation of space through synthesis of cognitive and biological theories of visual perception with geometric theories of the physical world. Perception of form, space and motion are among fundamental problems in vision science. In cognitive and computational models of human perception, the theories for modeling motion are treated separately from models for perception of form.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, submitted and accepted in DoCEIS'2012 Conference: http://www.uninova.pt/doceis/doceis12/home/home.ph

Axial length/corneal radius of curvature ratio and myopia in 3-year-old children

10.1167/tvst.5.1.5Translational Vision Science & Technology511-6GUSTO (Growing up towards Healthy Outcomes

Data science in translational vision science and technology

What is Data Science? Data science involves the use of a variety of quantitative methods (e.g. mathematics, statistics, computer science) to extract useful information from structured and unstructured data.1 Typically, data scientists undertake exploratory data analysis by deploying machine learning principles and algorithms to identify patterns in rawdata with the purpose of understanding processes and predicting outcomes. These analytic approaches include predictive causal analytics, prescriptive analytics, and machine learning for pattern discovery and outcome prediction, and they require a large volume and variety of data (i.e. structured as well as unstructured data)

Combining simultaneous with temporal masking

Simultaneous and temporal masking are two frequently used techniques in psychology and vision science. Although there are many studies and theories related to each masking technique, there are no systematic investigations of their mutual relationship, even though both techniques are often applied together. Here, the authors show that temporal masking can both undo and enhance the deteriorating effects of simultaneous masking depending on the stimulus onset asynchrony between the simultaneous and temporal masks. For the task and stimuli used in this study, temporal masking was largely unaffected by the properties of the simultaneous mask. In contrast, simultaneous masking seems to depend strongly on spatial grouping and was strongly affected by the properties of the temporal mask. These findings help to identify the nature of both temporal and simultaneous masking and promote understanding of the role of spatial and temporal grouping in visual perception

Current Trends of fMRI in Vision Science: A Review

Studying brain functional activities is an area that is experiencing rapid interest in the field of neuroimaging. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided vision science researchers a powerful and noninvasive tool to understand eye function and correlate it with brain activities. In this chapter, we focus on the physiological aspects followed by a literature review. More specifically, to motivate and appreciate the complexity of the visual system, we will begin with a description of specific stages the visual pathway, beginning from the distal stimulus and ending in the visual cortex. More importantly, the development of ascending visual pathway will be discussed in order to help in understanding various disorders associated with it such as monochromacy, albinism, amblyopia (refractive, strabismic). In doing so we will divide the first half into two main sections, the visual pathway and the development of the ascending pathway. The first of these sections will be mostly an anatomy review and the latter will discuss the development of this anatomy with specific examples of disorders as a result of abnormal development. We will then discuss fMRI studies with focus on vision science applications. The remaining sections of this chapter will be highlighting the work done on mainly oculomotor function, some perception and visual dysfunction with fMRI and investigate the differences and similarities in their findings. We will then conclude with a discussion on how this relates to neurologists, neuroscientists, ophthalmologists and other specialists