The Riddle of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines Illusion

Abstract

Gori and Hamburger (2006, Perception35 853–857) devised a new visual illusion of relative motion elicited by the observer's motion. We propose that the systematic error of direction discrimination found by Lorenceau et al (1993, Vision Research33 1207–1217) can explain this illusion. The neural correlate of such a systematic error with respect to the two types of neurons in the primary visual cortex, namely end-stopped and contour cells, is discussed.