Over the past twenty years, computer graphics technology has had a major impact on both empirical and theoretical studies of human vision. On the empirical side, computer graphics has provided unprecedented laboratory control over both the “proximal” and “distal” stimuli. On the theoretical side, computer graphics models of images and objects have stimulated the development of testable theories regarding human ability to extract object information, such as movement, shape or material, from images. Much progress has come through the analysis and resulting ability to synthesize realistic images. But it is widely appreciated that our perceptions are coupled with our decisions and actions. Interactive video games provide new, and relatively unexplored opportunities to study how humans use visual information in realistic tasks where, in addition to manipulating image information, one can control task demands and consequences, such as reward, that influence realistic learning and performance. I will describe some of the history of computer graphics in perception together with recent work using video games.
N00014-05-1-0124, R01 EY015261