Vision channels, contrast sensitivity, and functional vision

摘要

The neurophysiology and psychophysics of vision provide the basis for vision channels. Vision channels are the foundation of understanding spatial vision. This understanding has led to the development of a general model of visual perception and tests of functional vision. The channel model is shown to predict the Gestalt of many objects and perceptual distortions in a wide variety of spatial patterns misnamed as "visual illusions". Contrast sensitivity has been shown, more than visual acuity, to relate to functional vision and the visual quality of everyday objects viewed at work and play. The channel model and differences in contrast sensitivity help explain why people such as drivers with similar good visual acuity can complain of the quality of vision in one eye and not the other from eye disease and can dete4ct and identify objects at significatnly different distances. The peak of the contrast sensitivity function, about 3 to 6 cpd, is most sensitive to detecting objects at low contrast and is shown to relate to the visibility of a variety of objects in a night driving simulator. Using the contrast sensitivity function from sine-wave grating contrast sensitivity charts, EyeView software creates images that relate to the quality of vision.