The theory of Wilson's human spatial vision model was tested for real-world target detection and discrimination. The model was implemented on an image-processing system (IPS) as a rectangular sampling grid with Nyquist frequency resolution. A digitized airplane image target (AIT) was filtered with the model and the response magnitudes of the filters documented. Two filter targets were generated using the combined visual outputs of either the three filters with the highest absolute response magnitudes (FT1) or three filters with one-half maximum response magnitude (FT2). Six experiments were conducted to determine if FT1 or FT2 yields similar psychophysical thresholds as AIT. Four experiments measured detection thresholds under contrast reduction, static noise, and dynamic noise conditions, and two experiments measured discrimination thresholds. AIT and filter target thresholds were found to be significantly different when FT2 was the filter target and when FT1 was measured under the dynamic noise condition. We conclude that the theory of Wilson's model holds for real-world target detection and discrimination when temporal visual processing is not required.

Date Published: 27 August 1992
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 1666, Human Vision, Visual Processing, and Digital Display III, (27 August 1992); doi: 10.1117/12.135986

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1666:
Human Vision, Visual Processing, and Digital Display III
Bernice E. Rogowitz, Editor(s)