Visual Perception
CROSSMOD - Cross-Modal Perceptual Interaction and Rendering
The goal of the CROSSMOD project is to study, advance, and develop cross-modal perceptual techniques and to improve the efficiency and realism of audiovisual 3D virtual environments. Specifically the goals are the advancement of fundamental understanding of cross-modal effects for VE display, development of novel algorithms based on this understanding, and evaluation using target applications, such as video or computer games, design and urban planning, and clinical psychiatry.
Face-based Luminance Matching for Perceptual Colormap Generation
Most systems used for creating and displaying colormap-based visualizations are not photometrically calibrated. That is, the relationship between RGB input levels and perceived luminance is usually not known, due to variations in the monitor, hardware configuration, and the viewing environment. However, the luminance component of perceptually based colormaps should be controlled, due to the central role that luminance plays in our visual processing. We address this problem with a simple and effective method for performing luminance matching on an uncalibrated monitor. The method is akin to the minimally distinct border technique (a previous method of luminance matching used for measuring luminous efficiency), but our method relies on the brain's highly developed ability to distinguish human faces. We present a user study showing that our method produces equivalent results to the minimally distinct border technique, but with significantly improved precision. We demonstrate how results from our luminance matching method can be directly applied to create new univariate colormaps.
