Fraser-Wilcox illusion

since June 8, 2012


How do you see?

— Akiyoshi Kitaoka (@AkiyoshiKitaoka) March 7, 2020

Kitaoka, A. (2012). The Fraser-Wilcox illusion group: Its phenomena and models. IEICE Technical Report, 112(68), NC2012-24, 57-60 (in Japanese with English abstract). PDF --- PDF (color manuscript) <August 1, 2012>



An example showing illusory motion from dark to light along luminance gradient

The left rings appear to rotate clockwise while the right ones counterclockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2011 (August 31)



An example showing illusory motion from light to dark along luminance gradient

The left rings appear to rotate counterclockwise while the right ones clockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2011 (August 31)



An example showing illusory motion from dark to light along luminance gradient #2

The left rings appear to rotate clockwise while the right ones counterclockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2012 (June 5)



An example showing illusory motion from dark to light and from light to dark
(optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion, Type I)

The left rings appear to rotate clockwise while the right ones counterclockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2012 (June 5)


An example showing illusory motion from dark to light or from light to dark

For some people, the left rings appear to rotate clockwise while the right ones counterclockwise. For other people, the left rings appear to rotate counterclockwise while the right ones clockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2011 (August 29)



An example showing illusory motion from dark to light along luminance gradient #3

The left rings appear to rotate clockwise while the right ones counterclockwise.

Copyright Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2011 (August 29)



1. Fraser and Wilcox (1979)

Fraser, A. and Wilcox, K. J. (1979) Perception of illusory movement. Nature, 281, 565-566. https://doi.org/10.1038/281565a0


2. Faubert and Herbert (1999)

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)

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

Their color figure


4. Kitaoka and Ashida (2003)

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


Akiyoshi's illusion pages