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Real-world context increases capacity for remembering colors

A study led by Dartmouth College researchers found that participants' color memory improved when stimuli were meaningful and part of real-world objects. The results demonstrate that the capacity for visual working memory of colors is more continuous and flexible than previously thought, with better recall of colors in meaningful contexts.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 10, 2023

Like human, like dog

A recent study by researchers at the University of Vienna found that dogs and humans have brain regions specialized in perceiving body postures, similar to those found in humans. The study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the brains of 40 human participants with 15 pet dogs.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalCommunications Biology·DateJun 27, 2023

An immersive tactile book for blind children

A team from UNIGE created a book with tactile illustrations that associate sounds with objects, enabling visually impaired children to identify them more easily. The combination of gestures, shapes, and sounds helps bridge the gap between visual and tactile experiences.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalBritish Journal of Visual Impairment·TypeNews article·DateJun 5, 2023

New research sheds light on how human vision perceives scale

Researchers from Aston University and the University of York discovered new insights into how the human brain makes perceptual judgments of the external world. They found that humans can exploit 'defocus blur' to infer perceptual scale, but this process is crude and more heuristic than metrical analysis.

SourceAston University·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 9, 2023

Researchers detect and classify multiple objects without images

A new technique called image-free single-pixel object detection (SPOD) can detect the location, size, and category of multiple objects without acquiring images. SPOD uses a small optimized structured light pattern to quickly scan the scene and extract features, achieving an accuracy of over 80%.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Letters·DateMay 3, 2023

New Study Suggests Cold Imagery Creates Perception of Newness in Advertisements

Researchers from Japan found that cold imagery can positively influence consumer behavior and perception about a product, increasing perceived ambiguity and newness. This study suggests using background images related to coldness in advertisements may be an effective way for marketers to communicate product newness without altering the...

SourceSophia University·JournalJournal of Business Research·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 10, 2023

In bilingual readers, the visual cortex processes Latin and Chinese characters differently

A study found that bilingual readers process Latin and Chinese characters in different ways due to the formation of specialized cortical areas within the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA). In English-Chinese bilinguals, areas were only stimulated by recognition of Chinese logograms, while English-French bilinguals showed equal activation fo...

SourceInstitut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute)·JournalScience Advances·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 5, 2023

Reading and visual health

Research by State University of New York College of Optometry suggests that reading lacks diversity in visual inputs, potentially leading to myopia development. The study proposes a mechanism where sustained reading reduces activation of ON pathways, causing eye growth beyond its focus plane and blurring vision at far distances.

SourceState University of New York College of Optometry·JournalJournal of Vision·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 4, 2023

How vision begins

The study found that a microscopic change in a protein in the retina occurs within a fraction of a trillionth of a second, triggering the perception of light. This process involves the transformation of a molecule called retinal from its 11-cis form to its all-trans form, which takes just one picosecond.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2023

Visually navigating on foot uses unique brain region

A small study funded by the National Eye Institute found that a unique brain region called the occipital place area (OPA) supports visually guided navigation when walking, but fails to activate during crawling. This finding may help explain how children learn to navigate their surroundings and develop motor skills.

SourceNIH/National Eye Institute·JournalCerebral Cortex·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 15, 2023

Hands-free tech adds realistic sense of touch in extended reality

A new 'multisensory pseudo-haptic' technology delivers believable tactile experiences in virtual environments by combining visual feedback from a VR headset with tactile sensations from a mechanical wristbracelet. This innovation keeps hands free, enabling long-term wear and more realistic user experiences.

SourceRice University·JournalAdvanced Intelligent Systems·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 22, 2023

Sparse, small, but diverse neural connections help make perception reliable, efficient

Researchers mapped every thalamic synapse on 15 neurons in layer 2/3 of the visual cortex in mice and found that despite being weak and sparse, they are reliable and efficient representatives of information. The diversity of thalamic inputs underlies these advantages, allowing a small population of neurons to assemble the overall picture.

SourcePicower Institute at MIT·JournalNature Neuroscience·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 2, 2023

Product images could boost food pantry use

A recent study from Cornell University found that visual depictions of food pantry offerings, including brand names, have an ameliorative effect on negative product perceptions. The research also revealed that participants' pantry use history plays a role in their assessment of the quality of the food pantry products.

SourceCornell University·JournalAgricultural Economics·DateJan 19, 2023

Think before you design your brand's logo: How marketers can capitalize on the power of perception to influence beliefs about brand performance

A new study found that structured visual design properties, such as symmetry and balance, reinforce claims about a brand's utilitarian benefits. In contrast, unstructured designs are associated with hedonic benefits. The research suggests marketers can use perception to influence beliefs about brand performance and consumer choice.

SourceAmerican Marketing Association·JournalJournal of Marketing·DateJan 4, 2023

Some claim culture affects our basic visual perception. A UCLA study takes a fresh look

A UCLA study conducted by Zili Liu and Chéla R Willey found that white, Asian American, and recent Asian immigrant college students performed similarly on a well-known visual perception test, known as the rod-and-frame task. The results suggest that basic visual functions are largely independent of cultural variation.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 15, 2022

A novel multi-modal image retrieval system by researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

A novel multi-modal image retrieval system, DenseBert4Ret, has been developed by researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) using deep learning algorithms. The system outperforms state-of-the-art models in retrieving images based on both image and text features.

SourceGIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalInformation Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 8, 2022

Inverted dancers have more acute visuomotor perception

A study published in Scientific Reports shows that individuals with extensive experience performing inverted movements, such as vertical dancing, can overcome the inversion effect in perceiving biological motion. This ability is crucial for survival and social interaction, but is impaired when movements are performed upside-down.

SourceUniversity of Wyoming·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 28, 2022

How to improve landscape visual aesthetic effects of street pedestrian spaces in China’s mountainous cities

A study assesses and optimizes the landscape visual aesthetic quality of street pedestrian spaces in Jinan, China's historic downtown, using panoramic images and deep learning methods. The research finds that urban streets with high aesthetic quality serve as corridors among mountains and natural landscapes, improving city image.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalLandscape Architecture Frontiers·TypeCase study·DateOct 3, 2022

York University study: Even smartest AI models don’t match human visual processing

A York University study found that deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) fail to capture the configural nature of human shape perception, which could be dangerous in traffic video safety systems. The researchers discovered that while humans use configural shape perception, DCNNs take 'shortcuts' and are insensitive to this aspect.

SourceYork University·JournaliScience·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 16, 2022

Machine learning gives glimpse of how a dog's brain represents what it sees

Researchers at Emory University used machine learning and fMRI to analyze a dog's brain activity while watching videos. The results show that dogs are more attuned to actions in their environment than to who or what is performing the action. This study offers proof of concept for decoding canine visual perception.

SourceEmory University·JournalJournal of Visualized Experiments·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 15, 2022

When Alzheimer’s degrades cells that cross hemispheres, visual memory suffers

A new study found that Alzheimer's disease damages a circuit that connects the vision processing centers of each brain hemisphere, leading to disrupted visual memory. The researchers discovered neurons that extend axons across the corpus callosum, which connect the hemispheres, and showed that these cells play a crucial role in synchro...

SourcePicower Institute at MIT·JournalNeuron·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 19, 2022

Perception depends on whether you are looking up or down

A study by Toyohashi University of Technology found that the human visual system flexibly modulates observers' perception according to their posture. The research used the Necker cube as a visual stimulus and found a significant difference in probability of perception depending on the viewing posture, with a bias towards looking up.

SourceToyohashi University of Technology (TUT)·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 19, 2022

Photonic synapses with low power consumption and high sensitivity are expected to integrate sensing-memory-preprocessing capabilities

Researchers have developed photonic synapses using large-area, uniform multilayer MoS2 films that integrate sensing-memory-preprocessing capabilities. These devices exhibit ultralow power consumption of about 40 aJ and can simulate short-term synaptic plasticity, long-term synaptic plasticity, and other synaptic properties.

SourceCompuscript Ltd·JournalOpto-Electronic Advances·DateJun 30, 2022

Neuroscientists find new factors behind better vision

Researchers found that individual variation in primary visual cortex size and brain tissue can predict contrast sensitivity, with larger V1 areas and more cortical tissue leading to better vision at specific locations. The study reveals a new link between brain structure and behavior.

SourceNew York University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

This illusion, new to science, is strong enough to trick our reflexes

A new study reveals an 'expanding hole' illusion that deceives the brain, prompting a dilation reflex in the pupils and making us perceive more light. The illusion is perceived by approximately 86% of people and affects how our visual system anticipates and makes sense of the visual world.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 31, 2022

CAS(ME)3: Next-generation Micro-expression database with depth information and high ecological validity

Researchers have developed CAS(ME)3, a large-scale micro-expression database with depth information and high ecological validity. The database contains 1,109 manually labeled micro-expressions and 3,490 macro-expressions, allowing for more accurate emotional analysis and recognition.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalIEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 16, 2022

Researchers from the GIST use artificial intelligence to identify potential unsafe locations in cities

GIST researchers propose a new strategy for crime prevention using artificial intelligence, trained on a large-scale dataset of deviant incident reports and corresponding images. The model, called DevianceNet, can accurately classify and detect deviant places, making it a useful tool in urban safety development.

SourceGIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 23, 2022

It's the rhythm that counts

Research reveals that the brain's electrical rhythms fluctuate between high precision and low precision states several times per second, affecting how relevant information is transmitted. Cross-frequency coupling enables selective attention by modulating the strength of different frequencies, while distinguishing between different type...

SourceDeutsches Primatenzentrum (DPZ)/German Primate Center·JournalTrends in Neurosciences·DateFeb 22, 2022