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Colour Vision

Colour is a fundamental aspect of our visual experience that helps us identify objects and interact with the world. The colour lab undertakes research in colour constancy and colour appearance. We are also interested in various aspects of normal and abnormal colour perception, in how and where colour is analysed by the visual system and in optimising colour display and conversion systems.

Identifying Colour Mechanisms In the Brain.

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Chromaticity shifts

Perceived Chromaticity Shifts with Retinal Eccentricity

Colour vision in the periphery of our visual field is different from that which we experience in the centre of our vision. Using colour matching experiments we are exploring these perceived changes in colour perception and examining what are the crucial factors in generating them

Isoluminant colour stimulus

Responses to Colour from the Brain: Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs)

The recording of Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) forms a non-invasive means by which the physiological processes that lead to visual perception can be studied in the human brain.

Brain areas

Brain Imaging

Using modern brain imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we are interested in which areas of the human brain are involved in different aspect aspects of colour perception, like colour memory for example.

Colour Memory and Colour Constancy

Thanks to colour constancy your favourite t-shirt appears to be the same colour inside, under artificial light, as it would outside, under natural light even though the spectral distribution of the light that reaches your eyes has changed.

To achieve good colour constancy it is fundamental to have good colour memory. In our lab we use real object and lights as well as computer displays to try to understand how colour constancy happens and how it is related to other phenomena such as colour memory, adaptation and contrast.

Colour in Computer Graphics

High Dynamic Range image

High Dynamic Range Imaging & Compression

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging allows the capture of the entire luminance range of a natural scene. HDR displays can have a luminance output of up to 3000 cd/m2 and thus a contrast ratio of 1:30,000. They create a very vivid viewing experience for the observer.

Colour to greyscale conversion

Colour to Greyscale conversion

Tone-mapping operators (TMO) compress the high dynamic range to fit the range of a standard monitor. Our aim is to identify the best possible compression.

Sensitivity to Colour Gradients

Colour gradients are very informative about geometry and light positions within a scene and therefore can help us in recognising shapes and objects. But are humans actually able to use the information available in gradients? Are we sensitive enough to these subtle changes?

real colour ramp Colour gradient on dancer's leg captured by photography
computer generated ramp Colour gradient simulated by computer graphics routines

Funding

Our research is funded by the EPSRC, BBSRC, Nuffield Foundation, charities, and the College of Optometrists. We also undertake contract research and consultancy.

Investigators