This figure depicts both the combined Human Eye Like Perspective image (left) and the two seed images (right) for the sinusoidal transpose function.

Remote imagery is usually affected by the keyhole effect, or viewing the world through a “soda straw.” This project focused on reducing the keyhole effect by improving the viewing angle of the imagery using a novel method that produces results more akin to that provided by the human vision system. The human eye like perspective method combines two images viewing the same point in space from the same, or approximately the same, point in space using two different focal lengths into one coherent image. The method employed in this project uses two cameras or images; however, the resulting image can also be achieved using a single, albeit complex, lens on one camera. The two views (wide angle and telephoto angle) were merged together using a transformation function that results in a final image with a relatively undistorted focus or detailed center and a surrounding context or peripheral area, thereby simulating the perspective provided by the human eye. This project explored linear, sinusoidal, and Gaussian transform functions, each with different scale values.

The combined Human Eye Like Perspective image for the Gaussian transpose function.

The early results of this human eye like perspective for remote vision indicate that the initial work was a success, as the resulting images provided a view of the situation that is different from other increase view angle solutions and in a manner that does not appear to be as cognitively confusing. Future work will focus on different focal lengths of the context and detail images as well as performance through a variety of tasks using video, rather than still images. Future work will also include human subject image quality evaluations of the resulting images.

Related Papers:

Humphrey, C. M., Stephen R. Motter, Julie A. Adams, and Mark Gonyea. A Human Eye Like Perspective for Remote Vision. Manuscript submitted for publication.

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1. Compass Visualizations for Human-Robotic Interaction
2. Ph.D. Thesis: Information Abstraction Visualization for Human-Robot Interaction
3. Cognitive Information Flow Analysis (CIFA)