So you think you can see it all

[Skyryder]

Ever since I was a kid I've always been facinated by opticall illusions. Given the poor response of our optical senses I have on occasions wondered if the reason we are not so easily seen is that our eyesight is not designed for the modern methods of travel that we now enjoy.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm in no way making excuses for those that can not be bothered to look out for us. But take a look at this. It demonstrates just how poor our eyesight can be under some conditions. It's called motion induced blindness and it's more than a little scary. You can change the settings but with little difference.

http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/index.html




Skyryder

[Maha]

Thats great, i have had two eye ops in the last few years and some illusions i just dont get, but that one i did, and you are possibly right in your assumption Skyryder......:yes:

[Blueskies]

Now that is what I call really scary.

[Clivoris]

I never trust my senses. I look wicked fast in big shop windows when riding past.

[marty]

spin it up real fast, make the dots real big.

[ninjac]

Thats awsome.

[Shadows]

On the brighter side, this illusion only seems to affect a person's recognition of stationary objects. So really it would only would come into play if you were parked up in the middle of the road. Like waiting at traffic lights....

[Disco Dan]

if you liked that... try these...

[Marita]

Hey there. New to the forum. On a night shift so easing my way into this. Interesting chatting to those who appreciate the "motorbike world". I have a Hyosung 250 and my partner has a Suzuki750 sport. Off on a trip shortly.

[NighthawkNZ]

I use tohave a whole website full of optical illusions. I may start it back up again...hmmmm

[Pex Adams]

Hey there. New to the forum. On a night shift so easing my way into this. Interesting chatting to those who appreciate the "motorbike world". I have a Hyosung 250 and my partner has a Suzuki750 sport. Off on a trip shortly.

Welcome Marita,

Enjoy the ride on KB...

[skelstar]

Welcome Marita, you should start a thread in the New Members Speak (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34) forum. Be a good chance for people to get to know you.

[Pixie]

Motion camouflage: used by dragonflies,among many predators,as an attack strategy.
Has been put forward as an explanation for the inability of some motorists to see oncoming traffic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_camouflage

Our visual centre has evolved to detect movement by tracking the edges of objects in our visual feild.An object heading directly towards us,therefore,is difficult to detect and in some circumstances may not be seen at all.

In the case of a bike rider, if he moves from one side of the lane to the other,thereby moving laterally in an observer's ( a driver at an intersection,for example ) visual feild,he may make himself more visible to the observer

[Roj]

Ever since I was a kid I've always been facinated by opticall illusions. Given the poor response of our optical senses I have on occasions wondered if the reason we are not so easily seen is that our eyesight is not designed for the modern methods of travel that we now enjoy.



There are a few reasons why bikes get missed,

one of them is they are less common so car drivers don't look for them,

another is about the way the brain perceives things, when some one is driving the brain is processing a hell of a lot of images, the assumption becomes that all objects are cars, as they are the most common, so trucks appear to be closer and bikes being smaller must be further away it happens that car drivers "don't see" the bike because the perspective that gets worked out puts it far enough away that it is safe to turn or whatever, this is what you are thinking about with the optical illusion idea, the eyse see things well enough, it is the way the brain interprets that info that is part of the problem combined with a bias towards cars

Hopefully you get my meaning in this:2thumbsup

[Roj]

Hey there. New to the forum. On a night shift so easing my way into this. Interesting chatting to those who appreciate the "motorbike world". I have a Hyosung 250 and my partner has a Suzuki750 sport. Off on a trip shortly.

welcome, hopefully you will be enjoying the KB world:rockon:

[Blackbird]

Interesting.... on the first example (rotating grid and stationary spots), the spots don't disappear provided that you blink regularly!

Excellent site!

[Skyryder]

There are a few reasons why bikes get missed,

one of them is they are less common so car drivers don't look for them,

another is about the way the brain perceives things, when some one is driving the brain is processing a hell of a lot of images, the assumption becomes that all objects are cars, as they are the most common, so trucks appear to be closer and bikes being smaller must be further away it happens that car drivers "don't see" the bike because the perspective that gets worked out puts it far enough away that it is safe to turn or whatever, this is what you are thinking about with the optical illusion idea, the eyse see things well enough, it is the way the brain interprets that info that is part of the problem combined with a bias towards cars

Hopefully you get my meaning in this:2thumbsup


I don't dispute your rationale on this, but the optical illusion that I provided was a different kettle of fish than you have described. The yellow spots dissapeared at random and at times all together and then reappered. You have described the inability of retinal defination of size and distance.

Now I'm the first to admit the illusional effect in no way comes close to anything that we experiance as bikers or for that matter those that drive. But what it did show was the inability of the eye to gather up images in a constant manner. That's the scary bit, what we don't see and not realise it.

Skyryder

[-df-]

Interesting.... on the first example (rotating grid and stationary spots), the spots don't disappear provided that you blink regularly!

Excellent site!

Thats the case with all those image optical illusions I think (could be wrong but the only time they work with me is if I stare like crazy and don't blink)

[McJim]

The eyes are picking up the yellow dots constantly - it's the brain that deems them unecessary due to the fact that they are not moving. This blindnes only happens if you fixate on one spot. Under normal use your eyes dart about all over the place because you can only focus on one fraction of a precentage of your field of vision - really - the whole world might seem to be in focus but in reality it's just a tiny part.

I've had lots of this explained to me by optometrists coz they have fun testing my eyesight - my eyesight is weird....but wonderful...I can't pass the formal eyesight test for a vehicle but optometrists have no hesitation in handing out a form to say I'm fit to drive.

Cobras have the same problem to a greater extent - if it ain't moving/it don't matter.

[petesmeats]

This one is my favourite...

Big spanish Castle (http://www.johnsadowski.com/big_spanish_castle.php)

I am also really interested in these illusions and stuff...