Abstract

Resolution (visual acuity) and differential spatial localization (hyperacuity) targets were selected to allow rigorous psychophysical measurements as well as ready expression of both their spatial frequency spectrum and their retinal image light distribution. Thresholds were about 1 arc min for acuity and 4–6 arc sec for hyperacuity. As is consistent with the reciprocal relationship between the space and spatial frequency domains, the small locally restricted spatial differences between just distinguishable patterns are represented in the frequency domain by equally small differences, which are distributed over the entire spatial frequency spectrum. While they occur in many test situations, phase variations of spatial frequency components are not necessary for achieving optimum acuity and hyperacuity.

© 1977 Optical Society of America

Spatial-frequency model for hyperacuity

C. R. Carlson and R. W. Klopfenstein
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(10) 1747-1751 (1985)

Visual acuity in the presence of retinal-image motion*

Gerald Westheimer and Suzanne P. McKee
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65(7) 847-850 (1975)

Stereoscopic acuity with defocused and spatially filtered retinal images

Gerald Westheimer and Suzanne P. McKee
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 70(7) 772-778 (1980)

Measurements of edge-induced visual contrast and a spatial-frequency interaction of the Cornsweet illusion*

Roger P. Dooley and Martin I. Greenfield
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(6) 761-765 (1977)

Visual acuity as a function of exposure duration*

William S. Baron and Gerald Westheimer
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 63(2) 212-219 (1973)