In this cool Expanding Contracting Illusion by Akiyoshi Kitaoka, the outer ring appears to expand while the inner ring appears to contract. This is caused by the coloration of the shapes and the color gradient illusion. Notice that the darker colors are on the inside of the expanding ring and on the outside of the contracting ring. This is what makes the illusion work!
If you are interested in learning about the Expanding Contracting Illusion and the color gradient illusion, scroll down to read more about it.
Table of Contents
- What is the Expanding Contracting Illusion?
- How does the Expanding Contracting Illusion work?
- Some Similar Illusions
- Discovery of the Expanding Contracting Illusion
- References and Resources
What is the Expanding Contracting Illusion?
The Expanding Contracting Illusion is created by the placement of the darker and lighter colors and the color gradient illusion. The color gradient illusion is a visual phenomenon in which a ring with a varying color gradient appears to be expanding or contracting.
The color gradient illusion works by exploiting the way our brain processes information about color and brightness. When we view the image, our brain interprets the changing color gradient within the ring as a change in brightness or shading, and this can create the illusion of motion.
Specifically, when the color gradient within the ring changes from light to dark (or vice versa), our brain perceives the inner portion of the ring as brighter or darker than the outer portion, and this can create the impression that the ring is expanding or contracting.
The color gradient illusion is just one example of the many ways in which our perception of color, brightness, and contrast can be influenced by contextual cues and prior experience, and it continues to be a topic of interest in the study of visual perception and cognition.
How does the Expanding Contracting Illusion Work?
The Expanding Contracting Illusion works because the color gradient illusion exploits the way our brain processes information about color and brightness. When we view the image, our brain interprets the changing color gradient within the ring as a change in brightness or shading, and this can create the illusion of motion.
Specifically, when the color gradient within the ring changes from light to dark (or vice versa), our brain perceives the inner portion of the ring as brighter or darker than the outer portion, and this can create the impression that the ring is expanding or contracting.
Our perception of brightness and color is influenced by a number of factors, including the amount of light present in the environment, the spectral composition of the light, and the context in which the visual information is presented. The color gradient illusion is just one example of the many ways in which our perception of color, brightness, and contrast can be influenced by contextual cues and prior experience, and it continues to be a topic of interest in the study of visual perception and cognition.
Some Similar Illusions
There are several illusions that are similar to the color gradient illusion and the Expanding Contracting Illusion. Here are a few examples:
- Checker Shadow Illusion: This illusion involves a checkerboard with a shadow cast across part of it. Despite having the same shade of gray, the square under the shadow appears to be a different shade than the square outside of the shadow.
- Adelson’s Checkerboard Illusion: This illusion features a checkerboard with two tiles of different shades. The tile that is surrounded by darker tiles appears to be lighter than the tile surrounded by lighter tiles.
- White’s Illusion: This illusion involves two gray bars with a gradient on each side. Despite having the same shade of gray, the bar with the darker gradient appears to be lighter than the bar with the lighter gradient.
- Mach Bands Illusion: This illusion involves bands of color that appear at the edges of two different shades of gray. The bands appear to be darker on the lighter side and lighter on the darker side.
All of these illusions exploit the way that our brain processes visual information about brightness, contrast, and shading. They demonstrate that our perception of color and brightness can be influenced by contextual cues and prior experience.
Discovery of the Spiral Illusion
The Expanding Contracting Illusion is an example of Peripheral drift which is a visual illusion that occurs when the edges of an object or pattern appear to be moving or vibrating, even though the object itself is stationary. This illusion is created by specific patterns that are designed to interact with the visual system in a way that produces the perception of movement.
The color gradient illusion, also known as the expanding/contracting ring illusion, is a well-known visual illusion, but its exact origins are unclear. It is likely that the illusion has been observed and appreciated by people for centuries, but it was first described and studied scientifically in the 20th century.
One of the earliest documented studies of the illusion was conducted in the 1960s by the psychologist Roger Shepard. Shepard investigated the illusion and its underlying mechanisms, and his work helped to establish the illusion as a topic of interest in the field of visual perception.
Since then, many other researchers have studied the color gradient illusion and similar visual phenomena, and it continues to be an active area of research today. While it is difficult to attribute the discovery of the illusion to a single individual, it is clear that the illusion has captured the attention of scientists and the public alike, and it remains a popular topic of study and discussion.
References and Resources
In addition to the Expanding Contracting Illusion, check out our complete list of illusions and this awesome Crescent Moon Bridge Illusion and this cool Parallel Lines Illusion and awesome Rotating Circles Illusion and Moving Worms Illusion