Kinetic depth effect

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This animation of the Moon's libration shows the luminary's spherical shape, an example of the kinetic depth effect.
This animation of the Moon's libration shows the luminary's spherical shape, an example of the kinetic depth effect.

In perception, the kinetic depth effect refers to the phenomenon whereby the three-dimensional structural form of an object viewed in projection can be perceived only when the object is rotating.

If a shadow is cast by a rotating wire shape onto a screen, a viewer can readily perceive the shape of the structure behind the screen from the dynamic shadow pattern.

This is related to the extraction of structure from motion in computer vision. It is used in parallax scrolling.


[edit] Further reading

  • Wallach, H. & O'Connell D. N. (1953). "The Kinetic Depth Effect". Journal of Experimental Psychology 45: 205–217. doi:10.1037/h0056880. 
  • Gibson, J. J.. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Houghton Mifflin. 
  • Kauffman, L. (1974). Sight and Mind: An introduction to visual perception. Oxford University Press.. 

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