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A possible explanation of the low-level brightness–contrast illusions in the light of an extended classical receptive field model of retinal ganglion cells

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Abstract

The low-level brightness–contrast illusions constitute a special class within visual illusions. Speculations exist that these illusions may be processed through the filtering action of the retinal ganglion cells without necessitating much intervention from higher order processes of visual perception. Concept of the classical receptive field of the ganglion cell, derived from early physiological studies, prompted the idea that a Difference of Gaussian (DoG) model might explain the low-level illusions. In spite of its many successes, the DoG model fails to explain some of these illusions. It has been shown in this paper that it is possible to simulate those illusions with a model that takes into cognizance the role of the extended classical receptive field

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microelectronics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, 700064, India

    Kuntal Ghosh & Sandip Sarkar

  2. WBUT, BF-142, Kolkata, 700064, India

    Kamales Bhaumik

Authors
  1. Kuntal Ghosh
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  2. Sandip Sarkar
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  3. Kamales Bhaumik
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Correspondence to Kuntal Ghosh.

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Ghosh, K., Sarkar, S. & Bhaumik, K. A possible explanation of the low-level brightness–contrast illusions in the light of an extended classical receptive field model of retinal ganglion cells. Biol Cybern 94, 89–96 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-005-0038-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-005-0038-4

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