Learning to see in depth: neural models of binocular stereopsis

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When you go to see a 3D movie, you are provided with a pair of glasses to be worn while in the cinema. You then experience a vivid awareness of the three-dimensional shape of the objects and people in the movie, which appear to leave the screen and occupy space within the room. This occurs because the glasses allow the cinema to present two slightly different versions of the movie to your left and right eye.The purpose of this proposal is to determine how your brain is able to interpret these differences between what is seen by your two eyes. We know that this is achieved by neurons in the brain that respond to these differences. We will establish how it is able to interpret these, to provide you with a clear appreciation of the three-dimensional shape of objects.This research is important in providing a good theoretical understanding of binocular vision, so that we may develop successful therapies for conditions such as amblyopia and strabismus ("lazy eye" and "squint") in which binocular depth perception may be impaired or absent. It is also important in enabling designers of movies and virtual reality systems to make the results as "real" as possible. This research will help us to understand the binocular image differences that our brains respond to, and how it uses these to determine three-dimensional shape. This can then be used to directly inform the design of virtual reality systems.Finally, it is important in allowing engineers to develop robots and vehicles that can "see"; what we learn about how this is achieved by our brains is very valuable in developing artificial, computer vision.