Contextual modulation in high-level vision. This project aims to understand the nature and mechanisms of spatial contextual modulation and the relationship between spatial and temporal context. Contextual modulation refers to the sometimes profound changes in the appearance of the visual image caused by interactions across space and time. Little work has been done to examine whether spatial context effects exist for high-level attributes of objects, and socially relevant stimuli such as heads an ....Contextual modulation in high-level vision. This project aims to understand the nature and mechanisms of spatial contextual modulation and the relationship between spatial and temporal context. Contextual modulation refers to the sometimes profound changes in the appearance of the visual image caused by interactions across space and time. Little work has been done to examine whether spatial context effects exist for high-level attributes of objects, and socially relevant stimuli such as heads and bodies. This project expects to provide new knowledge regarding the way that contextual modulation is mediated by interactions within the normal human visual system. This will provide significant societal benefits as contextual interactions in sensory processing can have profound consequences for our perceptual experience.Read moreRead less
Extracting meaning from motion. This project aims to understand how the human visual system uses motion signals to detect the presence of other people and nonhuman animals. This question links vision science to social experience, and will be addressed using rigorous methods for studying human vision combined with 3D graphical modelling of interactive motion. The expected outcomes include an improved theoretical understanding of how rich, social information is extracted from motion signals in the ....Extracting meaning from motion. This project aims to understand how the human visual system uses motion signals to detect the presence of other people and nonhuman animals. This question links vision science to social experience, and will be addressed using rigorous methods for studying human vision combined with 3D graphical modelling of interactive motion. The expected outcomes include an improved theoretical understanding of how rich, social information is extracted from motion signals in the brain and the introduction of new techniques for testing an individual's social perception. This is expected to provide the knowledge and methodological tools to progress research in clinical neuroscience, computer vision, and interactive robotics.Read moreRead less
Cortical layers: examining the role of feedback in human visual perception. This project aims to generate a detailed mechanistic understanding of the neural circuitry underlying human visual perception. Through an international collaboration with the world-renowned Max Planck Institute, Germany, the project will exploit powerful new tools to measure human brain activity in cortical layers to test major theoretical models of human vision. The anticipated results are expected to significantly adva ....Cortical layers: examining the role of feedback in human visual perception. This project aims to generate a detailed mechanistic understanding of the neural circuitry underlying human visual perception. Through an international collaboration with the world-renowned Max Planck Institute, Germany, the project will exploit powerful new tools to measure human brain activity in cortical layers to test major theoretical models of human vision. The anticipated results are expected to significantly advance our basic understanding of how the human visual system parses complex visual input into objects and visual scenes, which may inform the development of artificial vision systems.Read moreRead less
Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road au ....Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road authorities and driver training providers as to effective training strategies to improve young driver training, and ultimately improve road safety with this vulnerable population.Read moreRead less
Cognitive Foundations of Fast Decision Making. This project aims to develop a new theory of fast decision making. In all walks of life, from the sports field to the battlefield, fast and accurate decisions are central to human performance. This project will develop and test mathematical models of the processes involved in making decisions with continuous choice sets and decisions requiring integration of multiple sources of information and decisions in which information varies over time. It is e ....Cognitive Foundations of Fast Decision Making. This project aims to develop a new theory of fast decision making. In all walks of life, from the sports field to the battlefield, fast and accurate decisions are central to human performance. This project will develop and test mathematical models of the processes involved in making decisions with continuous choice sets and decisions requiring integration of multiple sources of information and decisions in which information varies over time. It is expected to contribute to our understanding of factors that characterise and limit human performance in settings in which fast and accurate decisions are required. It is expected to benefit the design of systems and environments in which safety and efficiency depend on human decision making.Read moreRead less
From sensation to aesthetic appreciation. This project aims to understand the perceptual foundations of aesthetics. The experience of beauty is among the most compelling aspects of our interaction with the world but understanding aesthetic appreciation is difficult, because aesthetic experience varies between individuals, and is assumed to be influenced by culture, context and taste. In contrast, this project offers an account of aesthetic experience which connects the aesthetic object, the perc ....From sensation to aesthetic appreciation. This project aims to understand the perceptual foundations of aesthetics. The experience of beauty is among the most compelling aspects of our interaction with the world but understanding aesthetic appreciation is difficult, because aesthetic experience varies between individuals, and is assumed to be influenced by culture, context and taste. In contrast, this project offers an account of aesthetic experience which connects the aesthetic object, the perceptual processing of its properties and the resulting affective responses. Outcomes from this project will have potential applications in creative settings from design of pleasing visual surroundings to user experience and advertising.Read moreRead less
Novel psychophysical paradigms for examining predictive coding in vision. Human vision is shaped by predictive signals in the brain. Despite a century of speculation, we do not know how this interplay is implemented - particularly during natural viewing. This project will establish and validate new psychophysical protocols for investigating predictive coding in human vision. Experiments will involve natural viewing and eye tracking, so results will generalize to real-life. Studies will seek to c ....Novel psychophysical paradigms for examining predictive coding in vision. Human vision is shaped by predictive signals in the brain. Despite a century of speculation, we do not know how this interplay is implemented - particularly during natural viewing. This project will establish and validate new psychophysical protocols for investigating predictive coding in human vision. Experiments will involve natural viewing and eye tracking, so results will generalize to real-life. Studies will seek to clarify how predictions are formed and signalled. This could inform future developments in artificial intelligence, as that cutting edge technology continues to be informed by our understanding of predictive coding in human vision.Read moreRead less
Multisensory perception in active observers. Perception and action are usually studied separately, often under limited, non-ecological conditions. Recent evidence shows both functions are intrinsically linked and mutually influence each other. This project exploits new technologies to study dynamic perception in free-moving observers in real and virtual multisensory environments. The project will establish the mechanisms underlying the perception/action link and reveal how perceptual stability i ....Multisensory perception in active observers. Perception and action are usually studied separately, often under limited, non-ecological conditions. Recent evidence shows both functions are intrinsically linked and mutually influence each other. This project exploits new technologies to study dynamic perception in free-moving observers in real and virtual multisensory environments. The project will establish the mechanisms underlying the perception/action link and reveal how perceptual stability is achieved despite dynamic input that changes with action. It will generate new understanding of how the brain integrates its twin functions of perceiving the multisensory world and acting upon it, and will generate useful knowledge for virtual, remote and robotic applications.Read moreRead less
Just add noise: the benefits of neural and stimulus noise for perception. This project aims to improve visual perception by maximising the beneficial effects of neural and stimulus noise, i.e. stochastic resonance (SR). SR challenges conventional thinking that noise decreases performance. We expect to reveal the underlying mechanisms using experimental and computational approaches. This project is expected to generate unprecedented insights into how noise influences brain processing, leading to ....Just add noise: the benefits of neural and stimulus noise for perception. This project aims to improve visual perception by maximising the beneficial effects of neural and stimulus noise, i.e. stochastic resonance (SR). SR challenges conventional thinking that noise decreases performance. We expect to reveal the underlying mechanisms using experimental and computational approaches. This project is expected to generate unprecedented insights into how noise influences brain processing, leading to a possible re-evaluation of the function of noise in the brain. Expected outcomes include protocols to optimise human performance through SR, and an augmented reality set-up to apply SR to real-world settings. Economic and social benefits include the ability to individually optimise performance in visual tasks using noise.Read moreRead less
How human vision separately determines object and scene motion. This project aims to enhance understanding of how people process visual scenes containing multiple moving objects of interest. The project intends to measure human visual performance to determine how the brain processes multiple motion signals simultaneously. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of how we are able to use an evolving visual scene to distinguish between changes due to self-motion and those due to the m ....How human vision separately determines object and scene motion. This project aims to enhance understanding of how people process visual scenes containing multiple moving objects of interest. The project intends to measure human visual performance to determine how the brain processes multiple motion signals simultaneously. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of how we are able to use an evolving visual scene to distinguish between changes due to self-motion and those due to the motion of multiple moving objects such as crowded city footpaths and busy roads. The results will improve our understanding of failures to see moving objects in challenging viewing conditions (for example, high density traffic), and inform work in the design of autonomous driving and augmented reality display systems.Read moreRead less