Credits: 3 hours
Prerequisites: OSE 3052 Introduction to Photonics
Detailed Description:
This course is an introduction to optics of the human eye and physiology of the visual system. It covers optical and neural processing of temporal, spatial, and color information from an engineering viewpoint. The performance of the visual system in carrying out tasks such as change detection, brightness and texture discrimination, and recognition will be introduced using measures such as detectability, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), modulation transfer function (MTF), contrast sensitivity function, and acuity. Various theories of depth perception will be introduced along with cues for 3D display. Mechanisms for human color perception will be reviewed and the relation between the perceived color (hue, saturation, and brightness) and the physical stimulus will be highlighted. Spectral colors and color reproduction in the printing and display industry (TV and Web), colorimetry and color image processing using MatLab tools will be included.
List of Topics:
- Optics of the human eye. Brief introduction to ophthalmic instruments
- Physiology of the visual system.
- A model for spatial vision. Contrast sensitivity and modulation transfer functions. Acuity and hyperacuity, discrimination, masking and texture discrimination.
- Detectability and ROC characteristics. Role of photon noise and neural noise
- Temporal vision. Role of eye movement. Detection of moving objects
- Depth perception. Applications to 3D display.
- Color vision: Relation between the perceived color (hue, saturation, and brightness) and the physical stimulus.
- Colorimetry and the CIE system.
- Spectral colors and color reproduction in the printing and display industry (TV and Web).
- Color image processing using Photoshop and MatLab tools.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing this course, the students will:
- Explain the optics of the human eye as an image formation system and be able to compare it to a camera.
- Explain how the ophthalmoscope functions.
- Be able to use a linear system model of the eye and the retina to explain the contrast sensitivity function, which is measured using psychophysical experiments.
- Be able to use a photon model of light to explain the results of psychophysical experiments regarding the detectability of weak flashes of light
- Use the principal theories of depth perception to design a 3D display system using visual cues
- Describe the various representations of color (RGB and CMYK) and show how to convert one to the other.
- State the quantitative operations used in software such as Photoshop to carry out basic processing of color images.
Textbook:
Visual Perception, T. Cornsweet, Academic, 1970
Color Science, G. Wyszecki, W. Stiles, Wiley, 2005
Assessment
Homework (20%), term paper (10%), midterm exam (30%), final exam (40%)
