Final Report Summary - MATERIAL PERCEPTION (Visual perception of surface material properties - computational and fMRI investigations of spatiotemporal cues to perceived shininess)
Comprehensive summary
Humans can effortlessly visually sense dynamic physical properties such as viscosity, elasticity, or stiffness and optical properties of materials such as transparency, glossiness, shininess, or roughness. Many critical perceptual judgments, from telling whether fruit is ripe to determining whether the ground is slippery, involve visually estimating such material properties. Yet, very little is known about how the brain recognises materials, even though the problem is likely as important for survival as navigating or recognising objects.
To fully understand how conscious experience of material quality can arise it is necessary to both, understand what information the visual system extracts from the inherently ambiguous retinal input, and how this information is processed by the brain. The aim of project VISMA has been to advance the study of human visual perception of surface material qualities, by focusing on the identification of environmental cues signalling surface material quality and by deciphering the neural processes by which surface material perception is mediated. A particular novel aspect of the work has been the focus on dynamic cues to material perception, in particular exploring the non-obvious question whether and how image motion can convey optical properties of surface material.
Overview of results
Combining behavioural, computational and neuroimaging methods the most significant results have been the discovery of a previously unknown use for optic flow in the perception of surface material properties, the utilisation of this newly identified source of information in a machine algorithm that successfully detects and localises specularities in natural scenes, and a demonstration of neural adaptation to optic flow-based surface reflectance properties. Substantial progress has also been made in the identification of cortical areas that are involved in the processing of optic flow-based optical material qualities. These and related findings have resulted in journal papers that have been published or are under review in journals such as Current Biology, Pattern Recognition, Journal of Vision, or Machine Vision and Applications.
Conclusion
Taken together the project has been completed successfully meeting all major milestones and deliverables as outlined in the work plan of part B. The research conducted has led to publications in respected international journals, and to new local, national, and international collaborations. Thus, the researcher has been successfully integrated into the national and European Research Area (ERA).
A research project frequently ends with more questions than it started out with, and also here, there is more work that remains to be done to 'unravel the mysteries of perception'. In a newly European Union (EU)-funded research and training network, that is coordinated by Roland Fleming at the University of Giessen, and of which Bilkent University and Dr Doerschner are full partner, these questions will continue to be pursued perceptual representation of illumination shape material (PRISM) (see https://sites.google.com/site/prismitn online for further details). In addition to visual material perception, Dr Doerschner has been involved in a line of research that has developed during the project period and with project support: a research initiative combining genomic and neuroimaging analyses to understand brain development, structure and function, by studying patients with single-gene mutations that affect cortical development. This work has led to several publications, e.g. in Nature Genetics, and Genome Research (see https://sites.google.com/site/pomirg/research online for further details), and has recently resulted in a nationally (TUBITAK) funded project, led by Dr Doerschner, investigating visual behaviour in a patient with congenital cortical pachygyria. This project has high potential impact as it may reveal the link(s) between single gene, cortical structure, function and visual behaviour.
For her accomplishments and her multi-methodological approach in studying the development structure and function of the human visual system Dr Doerschner has been recognised in 2012 and 2013 with two prestigious national Young Scientist Awards (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) 'Young Scientist Encouragement Award' and the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) 'Outstanding Young Scientist Award', respectively).
Socio-economic impact
The scope of this basic research project lies in the general area of cognitive neuroscience. As such, the broader goal is to achieve a scientific understanding of how the mind perceives, thinks, and acts. It is expected that this understanding will ultimately have a 'revolutionary impact on national interests in science, medicine, economic growth, security, and well-being' (Akil et al., Science, 2010). Moreover, the research conducted in the scope of this project sparked new collaborations and attracted additional national and international funding, thus creating new jobs, advancing scientific excellence by training young researchers, and ultimately reversing the brain drain by increasing the visibility of Turkey and Europe as a place to conduct cutting edge research.
Humans can effortlessly visually sense dynamic physical properties such as viscosity, elasticity, or stiffness and optical properties of materials such as transparency, glossiness, shininess, or roughness. Many critical perceptual judgments, from telling whether fruit is ripe to determining whether the ground is slippery, involve visually estimating such material properties. Yet, very little is known about how the brain recognises materials, even though the problem is likely as important for survival as navigating or recognising objects.
To fully understand how conscious experience of material quality can arise it is necessary to both, understand what information the visual system extracts from the inherently ambiguous retinal input, and how this information is processed by the brain. The aim of project VISMA has been to advance the study of human visual perception of surface material qualities, by focusing on the identification of environmental cues signalling surface material quality and by deciphering the neural processes by which surface material perception is mediated. A particular novel aspect of the work has been the focus on dynamic cues to material perception, in particular exploring the non-obvious question whether and how image motion can convey optical properties of surface material.
Overview of results
Combining behavioural, computational and neuroimaging methods the most significant results have been the discovery of a previously unknown use for optic flow in the perception of surface material properties, the utilisation of this newly identified source of information in a machine algorithm that successfully detects and localises specularities in natural scenes, and a demonstration of neural adaptation to optic flow-based surface reflectance properties. Substantial progress has also been made in the identification of cortical areas that are involved in the processing of optic flow-based optical material qualities. These and related findings have resulted in journal papers that have been published or are under review in journals such as Current Biology, Pattern Recognition, Journal of Vision, or Machine Vision and Applications.
Conclusion
Taken together the project has been completed successfully meeting all major milestones and deliverables as outlined in the work plan of part B. The research conducted has led to publications in respected international journals, and to new local, national, and international collaborations. Thus, the researcher has been successfully integrated into the national and European Research Area (ERA).
A research project frequently ends with more questions than it started out with, and also here, there is more work that remains to be done to 'unravel the mysteries of perception'. In a newly European Union (EU)-funded research and training network, that is coordinated by Roland Fleming at the University of Giessen, and of which Bilkent University and Dr Doerschner are full partner, these questions will continue to be pursued perceptual representation of illumination shape material (PRISM) (see https://sites.google.com/site/prismitn online for further details). In addition to visual material perception, Dr Doerschner has been involved in a line of research that has developed during the project period and with project support: a research initiative combining genomic and neuroimaging analyses to understand brain development, structure and function, by studying patients with single-gene mutations that affect cortical development. This work has led to several publications, e.g. in Nature Genetics, and Genome Research (see https://sites.google.com/site/pomirg/research online for further details), and has recently resulted in a nationally (TUBITAK) funded project, led by Dr Doerschner, investigating visual behaviour in a patient with congenital cortical pachygyria. This project has high potential impact as it may reveal the link(s) between single gene, cortical structure, function and visual behaviour.
For her accomplishments and her multi-methodological approach in studying the development structure and function of the human visual system Dr Doerschner has been recognised in 2012 and 2013 with two prestigious national Young Scientist Awards (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) 'Young Scientist Encouragement Award' and the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) 'Outstanding Young Scientist Award', respectively).
Socio-economic impact
The scope of this basic research project lies in the general area of cognitive neuroscience. As such, the broader goal is to achieve a scientific understanding of how the mind perceives, thinks, and acts. It is expected that this understanding will ultimately have a 'revolutionary impact on national interests in science, medicine, economic growth, security, and well-being' (Akil et al., Science, 2010). Moreover, the research conducted in the scope of this project sparked new collaborations and attracted additional national and international funding, thus creating new jobs, advancing scientific excellence by training young researchers, and ultimately reversing the brain drain by increasing the visibility of Turkey and Europe as a place to conduct cutting edge research.
