Traits of optic flow - Assignment Example

Traits of an optical flow The optic flow is a term used to describe the apparent movement of objects, surfaces and edges in a particular visual scene as a result of relative movement between an observer and the scene. This concept was introduced in 1940 by James J Gibson. The optimal flow is important in allowing humans exercise control over locomotion under different environmental conditions (Boyd, 2004). One of the traits on an optical flow is where objects are moving relative to our movement.

The movement of a person provides information that can be used to guide that movement (Goldstein 2000). As a result of an optical flow, we are actually able to see objects get closer as we approach them, appearing to be approaching much faster than background objects. This allows us to direct our bodies to avoid hitting the objects and interact with them in the required manner. The same trait of optic flow creates an impression that during motion, we see things fly toward us. As we sit in a given position, we are able to observe objects which are nearer coming faster than those in the back (Boyd, 2004).

This is explained by the simple fact that the field of the optic flow is expanded in a forward movement and reduced in case of a backward movement. Another trait of optical flow is that objects which appear to be distant remain more distant while those nearer appear to be more nearing (Goldstein 2000). This trait is explained by the use of a tunnel. The walls of a tunnel appears to be moving alongside as we walk but the light at the end of the tunnel remains the same until such a point when we are so close.

The same case applies to distant objects such as hills and mountains. This trait is important in making us focus on the eventual goal, taking in mind the nearby objects we need to pass through.Work CitedGoldstein .H. Poole C, Safko J (2000) Classical mechanics, 3rd Edition, Addison Wesley.Boyd S, Vandenberghe L (2004) Convex Optimization; Cambridge University Press