The color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion: motion direction is reversed ("Illusions and delusions" in the Barn)

"Illusions and delusions" in the Barn, Leinroden, Germany
13:30-13:55, Saturday, August 24, 2013

The color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion: motion direction is reversed depending on luminance

Akiyoshi Kitaoka, Ritsumeikan University / JST CREST

since August 20, 2013 Handout

Warning: This page includes real animations. Please do not keep watching them for a long time. Although this page has carefully avoided the known harmful stimuli, unknown ones might happen to be included. Never copy them.

"Rotating red-and-purple disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating red-and-cyan disks 2"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Takonyudo"

takonyudo = octopus

Each disk appears to rotate counterclockwise when this image is presented on a bright PC display or in a print with a bright environment.

"Fudo-myo-o 2012"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise when this image is presented on a bright PC display or in a print with a bright environment.

The disk appears to rotate clockwise when this image is presented on a bright PC display or in a print with a bright environment.

"Active volcano"

Each disk appears to expand when this image is presented on a bright PC display or in a print with a bright environment..

Conclusion in advance

A brief history of phenomenal aspects of the Fraser-Wilcox illusion group

<Kitaoka, A. (forthcoming). The Fraser-Wilcox illusion and its extension. In Shapiro, A. and Todorovic, D. (Eds.), Oxford Compendium of Visual Illusions. Oxford University Press.>

1. Fraser and Wilcox (1979)

References

Fraser, A. and Wilcox, K. J. (1979). Perception of illusory movement. Nature, 281, 565-566.

Observers saw illusory motion in a stationary image which consists of repeated luminnace gradient in a saw-tooth wave form. Some reported illusory motion from dark to light along a luminance gradient, while others saw the reversal. The illusion is strong in the peripheral viewing. Fraser and Wilcox (1979) claimed that this individual difference depends on some genetic properties.

Adopted from “Alex Fraser, Geneticist and Painter”
(http://doctoralexfraser.blogspot.jp/p/spirals.html) <access August 25, 2012> (with permission from Alan Fraser)

Alex Fraser (1923-2002) was a geneticist and a painter.

2. Faubert and Herbert (1999)

The left disk appears to rotate clockwise while the right one counterclockwise. Faubert and Herbert (1999) reported only illusory motion from dark to light along a luminance gradient. They attributed the illusory motion to the assumed time difference between responses to black and white.

References

Faubert, J. and Herbert, A. M. (1999). The peripheral drift illusion: A motion illusion in the visual periphery. Perception, 28, 617-621.

3. Naor-Raz and Sekuler (2000)

The left disk appears to rotate clockwise while the right one counterclockwise. Naor-Raz and Sekuler (2000), too, reported only illusory motion from dark to light along a luminance gradient. They revealed that the illusion magnitude is a positive, nearly linear function of contrast.

References

Naor-Raz, G. and Sekuler, R. (2000). Perceptual dimorphism in visual motion from stationary patterns. Perception, 29, 325-335.

This disk appears to rotate clockwise.

This color illusion image presented by Naor-Raz and Sekuler (2000) (shown below) might be attributable to this type.
http://www.perceptionweb.com/perception/perc0300/sekuler.jpg <access August 26, 2012>
<with permission from Robert Sekuler>

4. Kitaoka and Ashida (2003)

The left disk appears to rotate counterclockwise while the right one clockwise. Kitaoka and Ashida (2003) proposed that the illusory motion is strong when patterns are arranged in the following luminance order: from black, dark-gray, white, light-gray, and back to black.

References

Kitaoka, A. and Ashida, H. (2003). Phenomenal characteristics of the peripheral drift illusion. VISION (Journal of the Vision Society of Japan), 15, 261-262. PDF

5. Kitaoka (2007)

high-resolution file

Kitaoka (2007) classified the Fraser-Wilcox illusion into Type I, IIa, IIb and III, in each of which the dark-to-light type was distinguished from the light-to-dark one.

References

Kitaoka, A. (2007) Phenomenal classification of the “optimized” Fraser-Wilcox illusion and the effect of color. Poster presentation in DemoNight, VSS2007, GWiz, Sarasota, Florida, USA, May 14, 2007.

Type I

"Dark to light"
The left disk appears to rotate counterclockwise while the right one clockwise.

"Light to dark"
The left disk appears to rotate counterclockwise while the right one clockwise.

"Dark to light" and "light to dark" combined
The left disk appears to rotate counterclockwise while the right one clockwise.

"Dark to light" and "light to dark" combined, with color enhancement
The left disk appears to rotate counterclockwise while the right one clockwise.

The upper-left, upper-right, and lower-middle disks appear to rotate counterclockwise while the rest clockwise.

Type I (six disks) 1500 x 1000 (pixel)

Type I (six disks) 6000 x 4000 (pixel)

Type II

Type IIa

The upper-left, upper-right, and lower-middle disks appear to rotate counterclockwise while the rest clockwise.

Type IIb

The upper-left, upper-right, and lower-middle disks appear to rotate counterclockwise while the rest clockwise.

Type IIa (six disks) 1500 x 1007 (pixel)

Type IIa (six disks) 6000 x 4031 (pixel)

Type IIb (six disks) 1500 x 1000 (pixel)

Type IIb (six disks) 6000 x 4000 (pixel)

"Rotating snakes"
(Ver. 2011)

Each disk appears to rotate.

Adjusted for printing using EPSON PM-4000PX

Type III

The upper row appears to move rightward while the lower one leftward.

Type III (two rows) 1500 x 400 (pixel)

Type III (two rows) 4500 x 1200 (pixel)Type III 4500 x 1200

The upper-left, upper-right, and lower-middle disks appear to rotate counterclockwise while the rest clockwise.

6. Kitaoka (2008a, b)

"Type IV" was added to the list.

References

Kitaoka, A. (2008a). Optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusions: a pictorial classification by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. Talk in Workshop No.005 "Experimental studies of anomalous motion illusions" in the 72nd Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, September 19, 2008. Talk

Kitaoka, A. (2008b). A new type of the optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion in a 3D-like 2D image with highlight or shade. Journal of Three Dimensional Images (Japan), 22(4), 31-32. PDF PDF (manuscript) Presentation

Type IV

The upper-left, upper-right, and lower-middle rings appear to rotate counterclockwise while the rest clockwise.

Type	dark to light	light to dark	Examples
IV new!

7. Kitaoka (2008, 2010, 2012a, b)

A strongly color-dependent, "reddish" version was added to the list.

In 2008, Kitaoka found that the direction of illusory motion is “red → dark purple → purple → magenta (light red-purple) → red”, and that the illusion magnitude is strong when overall luminance contrast is low. Images of high luminance make a strong effect.

"Rotating red fruits"

Rings of fruits appear to rotate.

Purple » light purple » light red-purple » red » purple

References

Kitaoka, A. (2010). Introduction to visual illusion. Tokyo: Asakura-shoten (in Japanese). Book

Kitaoka, A. (2012a). Designs using the red Fraser-Wilcox illusion. Journal of the Color Science Association of Japan, 36, Supplement, 188-189. PDF (color manuscript) Talk

Kitaoka, A. (2012b) The Fraser-Wilcox illusion and its extension. Perception 41 ECVP Abstract Supplement, page 91 (Poster September 3, 2012). Poster PDF

8. Kitaoka (2011)

In 2011, Kitaoka found that flickering the image increases the illusion magnitude. Blinks also work.

Further studies on the flickering enhancement or induction (Kitaoka, 2013)

Flickering induction depends on the interaction between the stimulus and the blank.

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise during fading-in while counterclockwise during fading-out.

Each disk appears to rotate counteclockwise during fading-in while clockwise during fading-out.

Each disk appears to expand during fading-in while to contract during fading-out.

9. Yanaka and Hirano (2011)

Yanaka and Hilano (2011) reported that this illusion is enhanced by mechanical shaking.

Each disk appears to rotate counterclockwise.
(Note that this movie is not their original)

References

Yanaka, K. and Hilano, T. (2011). Mechanical shaking system to enhance "Optimized Fraser–Wilcox Illusion Type V". Perception, 40, ECVP Abstract Supplement, page 171.

10. Yanaka (2012)

Yanaka (2012) reported that this illusion is enhanced by viewing images under dark illumination.

References

Yanaka, K. (2012). Enhancement of the optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion Type V by swinging the image. Talk in the 5th Illusion Workshop, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan, September 18, 2012.

11. Kitaoka (2013)

In 2013, Kitaoka (ECVP2013) found that Yanaka’s darkening enhancement is accompanied by a reversal of illusion: i.e., the direction under dark condition is “red → magenta (light red-purple) → purple → dark purple → red”.

References

Kitaoka, A. (2013). Invisible color and visible color: Mystery of color the brain feels. Talk in the Shizuoka Science Museum Ru-Ku-Ru, Shizuoka, Japan, January 13, 2013. Talk

12. Kitaoka (2013)

In 2013, Kitaoka (ECVP2013) found that combination of a long wavelength color and a short one makes the illusions.

Illusory motion depending on the combination of colors

"Rotating red-and-purple disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating red-and-cyan disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating red-and-cyan disks 2"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating red-and-blue disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating red-and-green disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

"Rotating blue-and-green disks"

Each disk appears to rotate clockwise on a bright display, while it slightly appears to rotate counterclockwise with a printed image under dark illumination.

13. Kitaoka (2013)

In 2013, Kitaoka (ECVP2013) found that increasing or decreasing illumination makes the illusions.

14. Kitaoka (2013)

It is suggested that this ‘luminance change-induced’ motion* might generate the color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion, being triggered by saccades, blinks, flickering or shaking the images.

*The luminance change-induced’ motion includes the reverse phi phenomenon (Anstis, 1970; Anstis and Rogers, 1975) and the phenomenal phenomena (Gregory and Heard, 1983). Directions of illusory motion depending on the changes of luminance are shown in the right (Kitaoka, 2006).

References

Anstis S M, 1970 “Phi movement as a subtraction process” Vision Research 10 1411-1430
Anstis S M, Rogers B J, 1975 “Illusory reversal of visual depth and movement during changes of contrast” Vision Research 15 957-961
Gregory R L, Heard P F, 1983 “Visual dissociations of movement, position, and stereo depth: some phenomenal phenomena” Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 35A 217-237
Kitaoka, A. (2006). Configurational coincidence among six phenomena: A comment on van Lier and Csathó (2006). Perception, 35, 799-806. animations --- PDF

"Rotating gray-scale disks (movie)"

Disks appear to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

Configurational coincidence among six phenomena: A comment to van Lier and Csathó (2006)

Kitaoka, A. (2006). Configurational coincidence among six phenomena: A comment on van Lier and Csathó (2006). Perception, 35, 799-806. animations --- PDF

Adobe Flash Player is necessary to play animations on this page.

Animation 1

Reversed phi movement (Anstis and Rogers 1975). There are four rectangles, each of which is flanked by thin lines that are dark or light. When the luminance of the rectangles decreases and that of the background increases accordingly, the upper two appear to converge in motion while the lower two appear to go apart in motion. On the other hand, when the luminance of the rectangles increases and that of the background decreases accordingly, the upper two appear to go apart in motion while the lower two appear to approach each other in motion. In sum, the direction of apparent motion is from the dark flank to the neighboring part that goes darkening or from the light flank to the neighboring part that goes brightening. Although the rectangles are aligned vertically, the apparent positional displacement occurs in the opposite direction to motion. If observers cross-fuse (uncross-fuse) the right and left rectangles, the upper rectangle appears to be in front of (behind) the lower one when they are dark.

Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 2

The illusory motion investigated by Gregory and Heard (1983). This appearance is quite similar to Animation 1. The only configurational difference from the reversed phi movement is that the luminance of the rectangles is constant.

Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 3

The illusory motion mentioned by Gregory and Heard (1983), in which the luminance of the rectangles dynamically changes while that of the surround is constant. This appearance is quite similar to Animations 1 and 2.

Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 4

Phi movement (Anstis and Rogers 1975). For panel (a), dark stationary rectangles are placed on a bright stationary background. When the luminance of the right flank of each rectangle increases and that of the left flank decreases, the rectangle appears to shift leftward in motion as well as in position. Conversely, the luminance of the right flank decreases and that of the left flank increases, the rectangle appears to shift rightward in motion and position. If observers cross-fuse (uncross-fuse) the right and left rectangles, the fused rectangle appears to be in front (behind) when the right flank of the right rectangle are dark and the left flank of the left rectangle are dark. For panel (b), bright rectangles are placed on a dark background. In this case, phenomena are the reversal of panel (a).

(a) (b)

(a) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(b) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 5

Consistency between the reversed phi movement and stereopsis (Anstis and Rogers 1975). In this animation, there are two phases in motion, in which the upper-left and the lower-right rectangles are one eighth phase in advance of the upper-right and the lower-left rectangles. For example, when the luminance of the rectangles increases, the upper-left rectangle appear to go leftward followed by the upper-right one, while the lower-right rectangle appear to go leftward followed by the lower-left one. In this period, the cross-fused (uncross-fused) upper rectangle appears to be in front (behind) as compared with the cross-fused (uncross-fused) lower rectangle.

Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 6

Consistency between the apparent motion and Café-Wall-like tilt illusions (van Lier and Csathó 2005). According to dynamic changes in luminance gradient, the flanks of the rectangle appears to tilt dynamically. (a) The luminance gradient given to both flanks is dynamically changed while the dark-gray rectangle and the light-gray background are stationary. The dark part of the gradient appears to shift outward in motion and position while the bright part appears to shift inward in motion and position. This distortion agrees with the tilt illusion. (b) The luminance gradient given to the rectangle is dynamically changed while the dark flanks and the gray background are stationary. At the dark part of the gradient, the neighboring part of flanks appears to shift inward in motion and position, while at the bright part of the gradient, the neighboring part of flanks appears to shift outward in motion and position. This distortion agrees with the tilt illusion.

(a) (b)

(a) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(b) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 7

Inconsistency between the apparent motion and Café-Wall-like tilt illusions. According to dynamic changes in homogenous areas, the flanks of the rectangle appears to tilt dynamically. (a) The luminance of the homogeneous rectangle is dynamically changed while the flanks with luminance gradient and the gray background are stationary. The darkening rectangle appears to attract the dark parts of the flanks inward in motion while the brightening rectangles appears to attract the light parts of the flanks inward in motion. This distortion disagrees with the tilt illusion. (b) The luminance of the homogeneous flanks is dynamically changed while the rectangle with luminance gradient and the gray background are stationary. At the dark part of the gradient, brightening flanks appears to shift inward in motion, while at the bright part of the gradient, darkening flanks appears to shift inward in motion. This distortion disagrees with the tilt illusion

(a) (b)

(a) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(b) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Animation 8

Demonstration of the apparent motion in the three elemental spatio-temporal configurations (Figure 6). The behaviors in (a), (b) and (g) are summarized in Figure 6a (off-center line-type configuration); those in (c), (d) and (h) are in Figure 6b (on-center line-type configuration); and those in (e), (f) and (i) are summarized in Figure 6c (edge-type configuration). For further explanations, see the text.

(a) (b)

(a) Flash(swf) --- Quicklime(mov)
(b) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

(e) (f)

(e) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(f) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

(g) (h) (i)

(g) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(h) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)
(i) Flash(swf) --- QuickTime(mov)

Directions of illusory motion depending on changes of luminance in each area

Involvement of the Purkinje shift is suggested. Short wavelength color appears to be relatively bright under a dark condition. Decreasing illumination makes short wavelength color relatively bright. This might induce the luminance change-dependent motion illusion and show the color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion.

Conclusion: It is suggested that the color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion be attributed to the luminance change-dependent motion illusion through the Purkinje effect, being triggered by saccades, blinks, flickering or shaking the images.

Akiyoshi's illusion pages

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Illusions and Delusions

The Barn – Optical Phenomena, Leinroden, Germany

August 23 to 24, 2013, Opening: vaguely 14:00

Talks: Possible sequence

Friday August 23
Session 1
14.30 Bernd Lingelbach: 'The Barn'

14.55 Michael Bach: 'Visual Illusions on the Internet – 15 years of change in scientific understanding, user behaviour and technology'

15.20 David Phillips: 'Illusoriamente'

15.45 Thomas Papathomas: 'Depth-inverting illusions'

16.10 Kenneth Brecher: 'Binocular Delusions'

16.35-17.00 Break

Session 2

17.00 Shelley James: 'Illusions of space and the art works of Ludwig Wilding: perspectives in print'

17.25 Alfred Bast: 'Bast I'

17.50 Claus-Christian Carbon: 'Mona Lisa: The mistress of illusion and delusion'

18.15 David Simmons: 'Some thoughts about the aesthetics of visual illusions'

18.40 Johannes Zanker: 'How to generate a Mondrian painting'

19:30 Dinner

Martin ‘Himbu’ Himmelsbach, the president of our ‘club of the barn’, and his band will present some music

Saturday August 24

Session 3

10.00 Juergen Kornmeier: 'What happens in the brain, when perception changes but not the stimulus?'

10.25 Brian Rogers: 'Illusory delusions'

10.50 Barbara Gillam: 'New insights into the genesis of subjective contours from studies of linear alignments and linear gaps'

11.15 Rob van Lier: 'Filling in Illusions'

11.40 Priscilla Heard: 'Looking at flipping illusions'

12.05-13.30 break

Session 4

13.30 Akiyoshi Kitaoka: ‘The color-dependent Fraser-Wilcox illusion: motion direction is reversed depending on luminance”

13.55 Gunter Loeffler: 'Illusory percepts of translating and rotating objects'

14.20 Kokichi Sugihara: 'How to make 3D solids that generate impossible motions'

14.45 Hans Strasburger: 'Dancing letters and ticks that buzz around – on the origin of crowding'

15.10-15.30 Break

Session 5

15.30 Alan Gilchrist: 'What lightness illusions tell us about lightness computation'

15.55 János Geier and Mariann Hudak: 'Curved Hermann and Scintillating grid' Poster and 'Chevreul illusion in a luminance ramp, computational model'

16.20 Frans Verstraten: 'Do new (neurophysiological) techniques replace the role of illusions in investigating our perceptual system? '

16.45 Nicholas Wade: 'Illusions before geometrical optical illusions'

Break

18.00 visit of an exhibition, mostly stuff of Tomi Ungerer at ‘Schloss Fachsenfeld’ (5 km from the barn, 1.5 km from the Roemer-Hotel)

19.30 Dinner at the Orangerie of the castle

starting about 22.00 last and very last pint in the barn