Abstract
Our senses provide imperfect information about the world that surrounds us, but we can improve the accuracy of our perception by combining sensory information from multiple sources. Unfortunately, much of the research in visual perception has utilized methods of stimulus presentation that eliminate potential sources of information. It is often the case for example, that observers are asked to maintain a fixed head position while viewing stimuli generated on flat 2D displays. We will present recent work on the perception of 3D motion using the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display with head-tracking functionality. We describe the impact of uncertainty in visual cues presented in isolation, which have surprising consequences for the accuracy of 3D motion perception. We will then describe how extra-retinal cues, such as head motion, improve visual accuracy. We will conclude with a discussion of the potential and limitations of VR technology for the understanding visual perception.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2017