Neural Computation of Pattern Motion: Modeling Stages of Motion Analysis in the Primate Visual Cortex - Hardcover

Sereno, Margaret Euphrasia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0262193299 ISBN 13: 9780262193290

Publisher: Bradford Books, 1993

Synopsis

How does the visual system compute the global motion of an object from local views ofits contours? Although this important problem in computational vision (also called the apertureproblem) is key to understanding how biological systems work, there has been surprisingly littleneurobiologically plausible work done on it. This book describes a neurally based model, implementedas a connectionist network, of how the aperture problem is solved. It provides a structural accountof the model's performance on a number of tasks and demonstrates that the details of implementationinfluence the nature of the computation as well as predict perceptual effects that are unique to themodel. The basic approach described can be extended to a number of different sensorycomputations.Sereno first reviews current research and theories about motion detection. She thenconsiders the formal aspects of the aperture problem and describes a model of pattern motionperception that stands out in several respects. The model takes into account the structure of thevisual system and attempts to build on known neurophysiological structures that might be availablefor solving the aperture problem, comparing performances in tasks involving direction and speedacuity, transparency, and motion coherency to human performance. The model's emphasis on the detailsof implementation rather-than on the goals of computation show that the details of datarepresentation change the nature of the computation, producing predictions (including severalillusions) that are unique and that can be confirmed through psychophysical experiments.MargaretEuphrasia Sereno is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon.

About this title

Review

To an unusual degree Margaret Sereno draws upon detailed physiological mechanisms as a basis for developing models. This book points the way toward combinign computation, physiology and psychophysics in unified views of visual system processing.

(Michael I. Posner, Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon)

This is an important book, discussing a significant and very general problem in sensory processing. The model presented is simple, and it is elegant in that we can see, intuitively, exactly why and how it works. Simplicity, clarity, and elegance are virtues in any fields, but not often found in work in neural networks and snesory processing. The model described in Sereno's book is an exception. This book will have a sizeable impact on the field.

(James Anderson, Professor, Department of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, Brown University)

Edition details

• Publisher: Bradford Books
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0262193299
• ISBN 13: 9780262193290
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 191