Color Logic of Apparent Motion

Abstract

Two shapes of either the same or different color will seem to be in smooth apparent motion with like-colored mates, at proper conditions of flash timing and spacing. An experiment is reported in which the condition was tested for unlike-colored pairs, for example red–green alternated with green–red. The question of interest was how the visual system would resolve the disparity of color. An ‘intelligent’ solution would rotate the shapes in three dimensions. Like-colored and unlike-colored pairs were found to move and transform similarly, however, the resolution being dependent more upon timing than upon color. The notion of intelligence as it might be applied to vision is discussed in light of these results.