Visual segmentation of complex naturalistic structures in an infant eye-tracking search task

An infant's everyday visual environment is composed of a complex array of entities, some of which are well integrated into their surroundings. Although infants are already sensitive to some categories in their first year of life, it is not clear which visual information supports their detection of meaningful elements within naturalistic scenes. Here we investigated the impact of image characteristics on 8-month-olds' search performance using a gaze contingent eye-tracking search task. Infants had to detect a target patch on a background image. The stimuli consisted of images taken from three categories: vegetation, non-living natural elements (e.g., stones), and manmade artifacts, for which we also assessed target background differences in lower- and higher-level visual properties. Our results showed that larger target-background differences in the statistical properties scaling invariance and entropy, and also stimulus backgrounds including low pictorial depth, predicted better detection performance. Furthermore, category membership only affected search performance if supported by luminance contrast. Data from an adult comparison group also indicated that infants' search performance relied more on lower-order visual properties than adults. Taken together, these results suggest that infants use a combination of property- and category-related information to parse complex visual stimuli.

Determination of Fetal sex by Fetal anatomy parameters using a Fuzzy C-Mean Cluster

This paper proposes a new approach to determining the sex of the fetus using the measurement of dimensions of the head. The research attempted to use one of the techniques of fuzzy logic in the field of medicine, and here it was dealt with the visual properties designed to mix the properties of fuzzy logic (FL) and feature images. The results that some traits cannot give good results such as the results obtained from the local binary pattern (LBP) algorithm and the power and superiority of the results of hybrid filters because the ultrasound images have a special color spectrum. The results also showed the ability of the fuzzy logic proposed by using the characteristics derived from the hybrid filter to deal with the study of images and to achieve a better diagnosis of the gender of the fetus through measuring the dimensions of the head.

Collage as the basis of creative methodology of Sergey Paradzhanov

In this article we have analyzed the artistic features of S. Paradzhanov’s art. We have investigated the interaction of Paradzhanov’s cinematic works with his collages. Analysis of creative work of S. Paradzhanov suggests that the master deliberately abandons a number of opportunities provided by the director of traditional cinematic language, manifesting such an “screen painting”. Analysis of films, artworks and screenplays by S. Paradzhanov allowed us to identify three main features of his collage tools: 1) work with color and visionary elements; 2) features of visual representation of texts; 3) textures and volumes of images in the frame. Collage techniques have a number of purely visual properties, which are reproduced in different ways in cinematic artistic background. It is likely that S. Paradzhanov, fully aware of this peculiarity, emphasized certain qualitative features of the collage technique, achieving the desired effect in the frame. That is why, in our opinion, Paradzhanov’s collage could exist only within the framework of author’s cinema in the aesthetics of Soviet art. Postmodernist thinking came to Soviet art through author’s cinema, where S. Paradzhanov was one of the key figures.

Climate and Vine – Representation and communication of spatio-temporal relationships in the web application AustrianVineyards.com

A central component of the web-based map application AustrianVineyards.com is the communication of the climatic conditions prevailing in the individual wine-growing regions. To accomplish this, it is necessary to obtain the relevant data and process it so that it can be converted into high-quality visualisations. Therefore, the goal is to develop a climate communication tool that is as flexible as possible, so that it is possible to display several meteorological parameters. Moreover, this visualisation should be appealing to experts as well as to laypersons. This paper shows how the data preparation and visualisation is managed so that these demands can be met. The result of the workflow are versatile climate and weather charts that are easy to interpret thanks to the inclusion of historical data. Furthermore, geocommunicative aspects are a central part of the concept through their assignment to wine origins from AustrianVineyards.com and visual properties that make the diagrams comparable with one another.

Optimising metameric spectra for integrative lighting to modulate the circadian system without affecting visual appearance

Smart integrative lighting systems aim to support human health and wellbeing by capitalising on the light-induced effects on circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive functions, while optimising the light’s visual aspects like colour fidelity, visual comfort, visual preference, and visibility. Metameric spectral tuning could be an instrument to solve potential conflicts between the visual preferences of users with respect to illuminance and chromaticity and the circadian consequences of the light exposure, as metamers can selectively modulate melanopsin-based photoreception without affecting visual properties such as chromaticity or illuminance. This work uses a 6-, 8- and 11-channel LED luminaire with fixed illuminance of 250 lx to systematically investigate the metameric tuning range in melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (EDI) and melanopic daylight efficacy ratio (melanopic DER) for 561 chromaticity coordinates as optimisation targets (2700 K to 7443 K ± Duv 0 to 0.048), while applying colour fidelity index Rf criteria from the TM-30-20 Annex E recommendations (i.e. Rf$$\ge$$ ≥ 85, Rf,h1$$\ge$$ ≥ 85). Our results reveal that the melanopic tuning range increases with rising CCT to a maximum tuning range in melanopic DER of 0.24 (CCT: 6702 K, Duv: 0.003), 0.29 (CCT: 7443 K, Duv: 0) and 0.30 (CCT: 6702, Duv: 0.006), depending on the luminaire’s channel number of 6, 8 or 11, respectively. This allows to vary the melanopic EDI from 212.5–227.5 lx up to 275–300 lx without changes in the photopic illuminance (250 lx) or chromaticity ($$\Delta u'v'$$ Δ u ′ v ′ $$\le$$ ≤ 0.0014). The highest metameric melanopic Michelson contrast for the 6-, 8- and 11-channel luminaire is 0.16, 0.18 and 0.18, which is accomplished at a CCT of 3017 K (Duv: − 0.018), 3456 K (Duv: 0.009) and 3456 K (Duv: 0.009), respectively. By optimising ~ 490,000 multi-channel LED spectra, we identified chromaticity regions in the CIExy colour space that are of particular interest to control the melanopic efficacy with metameric spectral tuning.

Processing visual ambiguity in fractal patterns: Pareidolia as a sign of creativity

Creativity is a complex, multifaceted and highly valued quality. Characterizing creativity experimentally is a challenging endeavor. While most studies to date have focused on divergent thinking, emerging work also points to an intricate link between creativity and perceptual abilities. Here, we hypothesized that differences in high- and low-creative individuals are already present at the level of sensory perception, specifically in the ability to perceive recognizable forms in noisy or ambiguous stimuli, a phenomenon called pareidolia. To test this, we designed a visual perception task in which 50 participants, with various levels of creativity, were presented with ambiguous stimuli and asked to identify as many recognizable forms as possible. A key manipulation consisted in generating cloud-like images where we manipulated the level of complexity by manipulating fractal dimension (FD) and contrast level. We found that pareidolic perceptions arise more often and more rapidly in creative individuals. Interestingly, less creative individuals have a narrower range of FD values that support the emergence of pareidolia. Our results show that FD and contrast are key visual properties to manipulate when investigating pareidolic perception and its putative link to creativity. They also suggest that pareidolia may be used as a perceptual proxy of idea generation abilities, a prerequisite for creative behavior. In sum, we extend the established body of work on divergent thinking, by introducing divergent perception as a complementary manifestation of the creative mind. Therefore, these findings expand our understanding of the perception-creation link and open new paths in studying creative behavior in humans.

Filled/non-filled pairs: an empirical challenge to the integrated information theory of consciousness

Perceptual filling-in for vision is the insertion of visual properties (e.g., color, contour, luminance, or motion) into one’s visual field, when those properties have no corresponding retinal input. This paper introduces and provides preliminary empirical support for filled/non-filled pairs, pairs of images that appear identical, yet differ by amount of filling-in. It is argued that such image pairs are important to the experimental testing of theories of consciousness. We review recent experimental research and conclude that filling-in involves brain activity with relatively high integrated information (Phi) compared to veridical visual perceptions. We then present filled/non-filled pairs as an empirical challenge to the integrated information theory of consciousness, which predicts that phenomenologically identical experiences depend on brain processes with identical Phi.

Exploring the Boundaries Between Visual Anthropology and Visual Communication Design Research

Researchers and/or designers in visual anthropology and visual communication share the visual aspect or visual study as a common interest. However, their views are different. Visual anthropologists consider the social impact and/or meaning of the visual communication within a culture. They are also interested in ways to present anthropological data by means of visual techniques. Visual communication design researchers create visual communication, and are interested in how participants respond to visual matter in order to enhance the human experience. In a way, they are (partly) producing the visual culture visual anthropologists are reflecting upon. In order to find out how and whether such disciplinary exploration might be fruitful, we were assigned three articles from Visual Anthropology Review within the category “Deaf Visual Culture.” As typographic legibility researchers within READSEARCH this felt familiar, since we have conducted several design studies (published and in preparation)—more specifically, practical legibility research—for the deaf and hard of hearing community. As design researchers in legibility studies, we do see possibilities to build bridges among the disciplines of visual anthropology and visual communication. A remarkable resemblance between the different fields of study within a deaf culture, in our eyes, is the approach of trying to capture legibility/illegibility within language (spoken, signed, and/or written) by means of visual properties. Therefore, we would like to highlight differences and similarities between anthropology versus visual communication, drawing conclusions about why both disciplines should keep a close eye on each other. Implementing insights into their research practices and/or visual communication design artifacts may open horizons within innovative or even collaborative research projects. Both fields, visual anthropology and visual communication, are trying to contribute to a specific common concern in deaf education—namely, the educational context of language practice.

A Design for Wayfinding: Developing a Mobile Application to Enhance Spatial Orientation at Taipei Metro

Taipei Metro, since its inception in 1996, has become the most important public transport option for commuters and travelers in the metropolitan Taipei area, delivering over two million daily rides. Nevertheless, the interior environment of Taipei Metro has a reputation for being disorienting, especially to the infrequent passengers. By incorporating the methods of behavioral mapping and visibility analysis, this study argues that the occurrence of disorientation is highly dependent on visual properties of Taipei Metro’s interior layout. Specifically, the number of decision-making stops and the visibility conditions of stairs and escalators are found to be particularly influential. To enhance the passengers’ wayfinding experience, a mobile application comprised of two components is proposed. The Route Planner is to advise the passengers to avoid the areas that cause disorientation, while the Navigator, by providing the panoramic views of certain locations, can help the passengers reach their destinations more easily.

The bouba/kiki effect is robust across cultures and writing systems

The bouba/kiki effect—the association of the nonce word bouba with a round shape and kiki with a spiky shape—is a type of correspondence between speech sounds and visual properties with potentially deep implications for the evolution of spoken language. However, there is debate over the robustness of the effect across cultures and the influence of orthography. We report an online experiment that tested the bouba/kiki effect across speakers of 25 languages representing nine language families and 10 writing systems. Overall, we found strong evidence for the effect across languages, with bouba eliciting more congruent responses than kiki . Participants who spoke languages with Roman scripts were only marginally more likely to show the effect, and analysis of the orthographic shape of the words in different scripts showed that the effect was no stronger for scripts that use rounder forms for bouba and spikier forms for kiki . These results confirm that the bouba/kiki phenomenon is rooted in crossmodal correspondence between aspects of the voice and visual shape, largely independent of orthography. They provide the strongest demonstration to date that the bouba/kiki effect is robust across cultures and writing systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)’.