Perception of Random Dot Interference Patterns

THE observation that circular patterns are immediately perceived if a random dot pattern (Fig. 1a) is superimposed on itself and rotated slightly (Fig. 2a) indicates that the visual system detects local autocorrelations and integrates these to form a global circular percept1. By varying both the local and global parameters describing the interference patterns, the functional organisation of the visual system can be probed and new perceptual effects discovered.