title: The construction of perceptual grouping displays using GERT.
abstract: To study perceptual grouping processes, vision scientists often use stimuli consisting of spatially separated local elements that, together, elicit the percept of a global structure. We developed a set of methods for constructing such displays and implemented them in an open-source MATLAB toolbox, GERT (Grouping Elements Rendering Toolbox). The main purpose of GERT is to embed a contour in a field of randomly positioned elements, while avoiding the introduction of a local density cue. However, GERT's modular implementation enables the user to create a far greater variety of perceptual grouping displays, using these same methods. A generic rendering engine grants access to a variety of element-drawing functions, including Gabors, Gaussians, letters, and polygons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Tiensestraat 102, bus 3711, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. maarten.demeyer@psy.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demeyer
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machilsen
mesh_terms: D003463:Cues; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012984:Software; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*