T o d a y ’s t o p i c s

B a s i c S e n s a t i o n I n f o rm a t i c s 

1. Visual system
2: Basic mechanism for light and color perception • Light censers in the eyes
( 
2

) • Brightness perception
(2018/7/5, 13:20-14:50)
• Color perception
• Individual differences in color
Takehiro Nagai • Beyond photoreceptors
Office: G2-710
tel: 045-924-5460
e-mail: nagai.t.aa@m.titech.ac.jp

E y e b a ll

• Light censers in the eyes

• Brightness perception
• Color perception
• Individual differences in color
• Beyond photoreceptors

L i g h t c e n s e rs i n t h e e y e s

Top view of right eye

Retina
 Photoreceptors
: Cone and Rod

Change Light information to

electric signals.

Source of vision

Rod Cone
S u m m a ry

Our vision (e.g., brightness and color perception) starts • Light censers in the eyes
Brightness perception
from conversion of light to electric signals in
•
• Color perception
p h o t o r e c e p t o r s (C o n e a n d R o d ) • Individual differences in color
• Beyond photoreceptors

B ri g h t n e s s p e rc e p t i o n

Rod Cone

Illu m in a n c e le v e l in v a r io u s v is u a l e n v ir o n m e n t s Halation
 and black defect


Black defect

Photopic
vis io n

M e s o p ic vis io n

Scotopic vision
Halation

A d j u s t m e n t o f l i g h t s e n s i t i v i t y (c a m e ra ) A d j u s t m e n t o f l i g h t s e n s i t i v i t y (c a m e ra )
Range of light intensity recorded in a film: ~102 Range of light intensity recorded in a film: ~102

Aper ture size

!
row
nar (√ 2 )n
t oo F -n u m be r
e is
ang
ic r
dy nam Photopic
rly
Clea vis io n
F=f / d (f: focal distance，d:deameter)
S〜d2 =(f/F)2 〜1/2n

Shutter speed
M e s o p ic vis io n
slow fast

Scotopic vision F ilm s e n s it iv it y

IS O 2 5 , 5 0 , 1 0 0 , 2 0 0 , 4 0 0 , 8 0 0 , 1 6 0 0 , 3 2 0 0
A d j u s t m e n t o f l i g h t s e n s i t i v i t y (h u m a n e y e ) A d j u s t m e n t o f l i g h t s e n s i t i v i t y (h u m a n e y e )
Range of light intensity simultaneously detectable : Range of light intensity simultaneously detectable :
~10 2 ~10 2 

Pupil diameter (mm)

!
row
o nar P u p il
is t o
r a nge
a m ic
rly
dyn Photopic
Clea vis io n
luminance

Adjustments in the retina

M e s o p ic vis io n
• Adaptation in photopigment (rod and cone)
• Change of rod and cone systems
Scotopic vision
Adjustments in neural system

Absolute threshold (
)

D e f in it io n :

How can we find the change Lowest physical quantity (light intensity)

of rod and cone systems?

to detect stimulus
（明るい）
Perceptual quantity

Absolute threshold! 






（暗い…） 
stimulus

Physical quantity


E x p e ri m e n t fo r a b s o l u t e t h re s h o l d
Peripheral field Fixation point

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Higher sensitivity required!

fovea Test light

1. Enter dark room

But…sensitivity changes according to adaptation state. 2. Wait for several seconds/minutes
3. Measure absolute threshold
4. Repeat 2. and 3.
R e s u l t s : D a rk a d a p t a t i o n c u rv e R e s u l t s : D i ffe re n c e a c ro s s e c c e n t ri c i t y
Dark-adaptation curves at various eccentricities (Hecht et al., 1935)

Absolute thresholds
Absolute threshold

Rod-cone break
Maximum sensitivity of cone

Maximum sensitivity of rod

Time in dark (min)

High sensitivity Conditions

Time in dark (min) Stimulus size: 2 degree，eccentricity: 0-10 degree，duration: 1 s

R o d a n d c o n e : D i s t ri b u t i o n R o d a n d C o n e : D i s t ri b u t i o n

Fovea: Only Cones (no rods!)

Peripher y: Rods are dominant

Cone

Rod
Rod Cone
Cone

Fovea (
) Periphery ()

Photos of retina

S p e c t ra l S e n sit iv it y P
urk

in je sh ift

Wavelength (nm)
P u rk in je sh ift P u rk in je sh ift

Which one seems more salient during day and night?

D a r k - a d a p t a t io n a n d i ll u m i n a t io n in t u n n e l F a c t o rs f o r a d a p t a t i o n

Retina

• Visual pigments
• Rod and cone

Retina and higher level

• Neural network

The island of rod-monochromats (
)

• Light censers in the eyes

• Brightness perception
• Color perception
• Individual differences in color
• Beyond photoreceptors

C o l o r p e rc e p t i o n
The island of rod-monochromats (
) T o se e c o lo rs… t h re e k in d s o f c o n e s
S-c one Rod M -c one
L -c one

Pohnpei island

Micronesia

Pingelap island

Different spectral sensitivities

Source of color perception

C o l o r a n d s p e c t ra l s e n s i t i v it y C o l o r a n d s p e c t ra l s e n s i t i v i t y
Only with one kind of cone (or rod), But… with two kinds of cones,
we cannot know spectral component of light at all. we can know spectral differences -> perceived as color!

C o l o r a n d s p e c t ra l s e n s i t i v it y W h a t i s c o l o r?
Response ratio between three cone types is
source of color perception!

Newton (1642-1727)

36
Wolfe et al., 2009
Color matching experiment (
)

• Light censers in the eyes

• Brightness perception
Bipartite field (
) • Color perception
• Individual differences in color
• Beyond photoreceptors

In d i v i d u a l d i ffe re n c e s i n c o l o r

Completely different light can yield the same color perception!

C o n e d is t r ib u t io n C o n e d is t r ib u t io n
L/M cone number ratio largely differs between individuals. L/M cone number ratio largely differs between individuals.
-> However, this hardly affects color perception.
(cone ratio imbalance should be compensated in later processing)

600
Wavelength corresponding to “unique yellow”
590
Wavelength (nm)

580

570

560

550

540
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
L/M Cone Ratio

Color anomaly (
) S i m u l a t i o n o f c o l o r a n o m a l y ‘s p e r c e p t i o n

Type of color anomaly Ratio in men (%) Ratio in women(%)

Protanopia 1 0.01
(Deficit of L-cone)
Protanomaly 1 0.03
(Anomaly of L-cone)
Deuteranopia 1 0.01 Normal Protan (no L cone)
(Deficit of M-cone)
Deuteranomaly 5 0.35
(Anomaly of M-cone)
Tritanopia <0.01 <0.01
(Deficit and anomaly of S-cone)
Total 8 0.40

Deutan (no M cone) Tritan (no S cone)

Snowden et al., 2006 Snowden et al., 2006

 Color opponency


• Light censers in the eyes L-cone M-cone S-cone

• Brightness perception
• Color perception
• Individual differences in color
• Beyond photoreceptors

B e yo nd the co ne s

C o lo r o ppo n e n c y : a d a pt a tio n C o lo r o ppo n e n c y : a d a pt a tio n

Our visual system adapts not only to brightness, Color perception is always modified by adaptation.
but also to color.

C o lo r c o n sta n c y C o lo r c o n sta n c y
We can see object colors properly
under different illumination colors.
→ Functions of various stages of neural processing