title: Multi-aperture viewing: perception of figures through very small apertures.
abstract: A new phenomenon of viewing objects through multiple apertures is reported. When a solid figure is hidden behind a sieve of very small apertures (pinholes), only its general shape may be perceived. Outline figures may be entirely invisible behind the sieve. Motion of the figure markedly improves the visibility of the outline figures and of the small details and edges of the solid figures. Two experiments are presented. The first demonstrates that the size of a dark stimulus moving behind a rear-illuminated row of holes is perceived with an accuracy that may be considerably better (i.e. the error is smaller) than the interhole distance. The results of the second experiment show that the visibility of an outline figure, a ring, is significantly better when the figure smoothly moves than when presented at random positions behind a two-dimensional sieve. Changing the velocity within the range of 5.18-10.36 deg/sec does not affect the visibility of the figure while it moves; however, a lower rate of discrete presentation leads to significantly better visibility. An explanation of the phenomenon is presented in terms of integration of information about the relative positions of the covered/uncovered holes, with a possible involvement of motion analyzing mechanisms.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mateeff
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hohnsbein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology; D015349:Vision, Monocular