The Checker Shadow Illusion is created by a checkerboard pattern composed of squares with different luminance values, the squares that are not directly illuminated by the light source appear darker than the illuminated squares, creating the illusion of shadows. The illusion is more pronounced when the squares are of high contrast, the light source is positioned at an oblique angle, and the checkerboard pattern is viewed from a distance.
The Checker Shadow illusion is an example of how our visual system can be misled by certain patterns and how the relative luminance can affect our perception of shadows and depth. It shows how the visual system uses the information from the image to infer the presence of shadows and depth even when it isn’t there.
Table of Contents
- How does the Checker Shadow Illusion work?
- Versions of the Checker Shadow Illusion
- Illusions like the Checker Shadow Illusion
- Discovery of the Checker Shadow Illusion
- References and Resources
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How does the Checker Shadow Illusion work?
The Checker Shadow Illusion works by manipulating the relative luminance of the squares in a checkerboard pattern and the position of a light source.
Our visual system uses the information from the image to infer the presence of shadows and depth, and when the squares in the checkerboard pattern are of high contrast, the light source is positioned at an oblique angle, and the pattern is viewed from a distance, it creates the illusion of shadows on the squares that are not illuminated by the light source.
The illusion works because our visual system interprets the relative luminance of the squares in the checkerboard pattern as a cue for the presence of shadows and depth.
When the squares are of high contrast, our visual system assumes that the illuminated squares are closer to the light source and the dark squares are farther away, creating the illusion of shadows on the dark squares.
Additionally, the illusion is also influenced by the way our visual system processes the information in the image, such as the size, shape, and color of the squares, and the position of the light source.
The illusion is more pronounced when the light source is positioned at an oblique angle, because it creates more contrast between the illuminated and dark squares, and when the checkerboard pattern is viewed from a distance, because it makes the illusion more realistic.
In summary, the Checker Shadow Illusion works by manipulating the relative luminance of the squares in a checkerboard pattern and the position of a light source, which creates the illusion of shadows on the squares that are not illuminated by the light source, tricking the visual system into interpreting the pattern as having depth and shadows.
Versions of the Checker Shadow Illusion
The following is an alternate version of the Checker Shadow Illusion:
Illusions like the Checker Shadow Illusion
The Checker Shadow Illusion is a type of visual illusion known as a “perception illusion” or “perceptual illusion”. These types of illusions are created by manipulating the visual information in an image in a way that tricks the visual system into interpreting it differently from how it actually is.
In the case of the Checker Shadow Illusion, the visual information is manipulated by using a high-contrast checkerboard pattern and a light source positioned at an oblique angle, creating the illusion of shadows on the squares that are not illuminated by the light source, even though there are no actual shadows present in the image.
Perception illusions like the Checker Shadow Illusion, demonstrate how our visual system uses cues such as relative luminance, depth and shadows, to interpret the visual information and how easily it can be misled. These types of illusions are used to study how the visual system processes visual information and to better understand the underlying mechanisms of perception.
Some related illusions include the following:
The simultaneous contrast illusion is a visual effect that occurs when the perception of a color is affected by the colors of the surrounding area.
The illusion creates the appearance of a change in the color of an object, even though the actual color of the object remains constant.
The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.
The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.
The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.
The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.
The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.
The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.
The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.
Discovery of the Checker Shadow Illusion
The Checker Shadow Illusion was created by published by Edward H. Adelson in 1995.
Edward H. Adelson is a professor of Vision Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is known for his research in the field of visual perception, particularly his work on the perception of lightness, color, and texture.
Adelson is best known for his work on the Checker-shadow Illusion. It was first published in 1995. He also made several other contributions to the field of visual perception, such as his research on the perception of color and texture, the perception of lightness and the perception of depth and motion. He has published many papers and articles on these topics and is widely considered to be one of the leading experts in the field of visual perception.
Adelson received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from MIT. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the David Marr Prize from the Cognitive Science Society and the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Optical Society of America.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.