4 ms·

Human eyes have depth perception, a camera doesn't.

by aedron 9y ago

icebraining 9y ago
Does the human eye have anything special in that regard that couldn't be emulated by two side-by-side cameras? As far as i know, depth perception is mostly an awesome feature of our brain (software), not of our eyes (hardware).
- sangnoir 9y ago
  The brain is also hardware, just extremely efficient. When compared to modern processors, the visual cortex does way more while using less energy.
- alexbock 9y ago
  The human eye has some interesting optical defects like chromatic aberration that man-made optical systems usually fix in hardware but that the brain fixes in software. These aberrations, when available to the software as uncorrected input, can provide information useful for determining how to focus properly (and by extension, focus distance, which gives you distance-to-point information dependent on DOF). [1] Modern photographic lenses tend to contain a large number of lenses in series, a few of which often have an exotic property like being apochromatic, aspheric, or made of fluorite, but such well-corrected lenses may be counter-productive for machine vision. Phase detection in a DSLR relies on separate collection sites like stereo vision, but autofocus still hunts under bad conditions. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189032/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189032/
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
stereo 9y ago
Stereopsis and stereoblindness is actually a fascinating topic. Some humans don’t have it, and still manage to drive, ride bicycles, or fly planes. The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks has an interesting chapter on a woman who managed to develop stereovision in her late 40s through vision therapy.
- adrianN 9y ago
  Humans have a huge amount of "common sense" knowledge that makes object recognition a lot easier, even without 3D information.
- xaedes 9y ago
  Even with only one eye, it has to focus differently for different distances. I think that information is somewhere present in the brain and can be used (even when not consciously accessible)
- fudged71 9y ago
  Some VR users (and IMAX 3D customers) have reported 'learning' stereovision. I'm pretty sure I'm stereoblind. I think my brain is too lazy to combine images into 3D. Pot seemed to kick my brain into overdrive and process that signal. My friend laughs at me for "seeing in 3D for the first time" and doesn't believe me.
mikeash 9y ago
Binocular depth perception doesn't work past maybe 20-40ft, and safe one-eyed drivers exist. Other forms of depth perception could theoretically be done just as well with a camera as with an eye.

Human eyes have depth perception, a camera doesn't.

by aedron 9y ago

Human eyes have depth perception, a camera doesn't.

Does the human eye have anything special in that regard that couldn't be emulated by two side-by-side cameras? As far as i know, depth perception is mostly an awesome feature of our brain (software), not of our eyes (hardware).

sangnoir 9y ago
The brain is also hardware, just extremely efficient. When compared to modern processors, the visual cortex does way more while using less energy.
alexbock 9y ago
The human eye has some interesting optical defects like chromatic aberration that man-made optical systems usually fix in hardware but that the brain fixes in software. These aberrations, when available to the software as uncorrected input, can provide information useful for determining how to focus properly (and by extension, focus distance, which gives you distance-to-point information dependent on DOF). [1] Modern photographic lenses tend to contain a large number of lenses in series, a few of which often have an exotic property like being apochromatic, aspheric, or made of fluorite, but such well-corrected lenses may be counter-productive for machine vision. Phase detection in a DSLR relies on separate collection sites like stereo vision, but autofocus still hunts under bad conditions. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189032/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189032/

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

stereo 9y ago

Stereopsis and stereoblindness is actually a fascinating topic. Some humans don’t have it, and still manage to drive, ride bicycles, or fly planes. The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks has an interesting chapter on a woman who managed to develop stereovision in her late 40s through vision therapy.

adrianN 9y ago
Humans have a huge amount of "common sense" knowledge that makes object recognition a lot easier, even without 3D information.
xaedes 9y ago
Even with only one eye, it has to focus differently for different distances. I think that information is somewhere present in the brain and can be used (even when not consciously accessible)
fudged71 9y ago
Some VR users (and IMAX 3D customers) have reported 'learning' stereovision. I'm pretty sure I'm stereoblind. I think my brain is too lazy to combine images into 3D. Pot seemed to kick my brain into overdrive and process that signal. My friend laughs at me for "seeing in 3D for the first time" and doesn't believe me.

mikeash 9y ago

Binocular depth perception doesn't work past maybe 20-40ft, and safe one-eyed drivers exist. Other forms of depth perception could theoretically be done just as well with a camera as with an eye.