Optical Illusions Project

By: Shashwat Pande, Satchel Sammons, and Kevin Stiff

Computerized Optical Illusion 1

Does it appear toturn?

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because when you observe the figure carefully, it looks as if the figure is slightly turning. This is the result of all the squares not being the same size. We picked the colors black and white because it is very hard to observe and point out things in the picture with those colors. We noticed that most of the optical illusions are in those colors. We used squares because they are very easy to mold into different shapes that can be useful in our illusion and can trick the human mind!

Computerized Optical Illusion 2

Which central squareis bigger, left or right?

They are both thesame size!

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because the central square surrounded by the smaller squares might seem bigger than the central square surrounded by the bigger squares. This is because our brain takes notice of the squares outside the central square and then we make our conclusion. If the squares are smaller than the central square we think that the central square is bigger. It’s the other way around when the squares are bigger. Again, we used black and white because it is hard to point out things in those colors.

Computerized Optical Illusion 3

Is this figure looked at from thetop view or thebottom view?

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because it seems that you can look at the figure both ways: top view and bottom view. This illusion really confuses the human mind. If there was a dotted line replacing the line that connects the figure together, it would be easier to tell whether the figure is from the top view or bottom view. Again, the colors used were black and white because we can’t distinguish between them.

Hand Drawn Optical Illusion 1

Do you see thehidden triangle?

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because the white shows the hidden triangle that we normally can’t see. This is a clever illusion because it uses the black and white to show the final outcome. The “pacman’s mouth” represents the side of the triangle. Again, the colors used are black and white. This time the shapes used were triangles and almost full circles.

Hand Drawn Optical Illusion 2

In this picture you canobviously see two faces, where’s the third face?

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because the two faces hide the third face. This illusion is a tough one because in order to find the third face you have to carefully observe the features of each face to see if one of them makes the other face come to life. It really forces you to look around the picture and point out things that you see. Since the colors were black and white, finding the face is not an easy task.

Hand Drawn Optical Illusion 3

This drawingappears as if thesteps are descending eventhough it is a 2Dsquare

How is this an optical illusion?

This is an optical illusion because the drawing appears to descent but if we zoom out of the drawing, it is a 2D square with a bunch of designs on it. The way the prisms are connecting in the picture makes it look like stair steps going down a hole. Again, we used black and white but the colors did not really play a role in this illusion. The rectangular prisms did all the work.

So…….. what’s next?

All of these optical illusions serve another purpose rather than entertaining people. They can be used for visual acuity. So what is visual acuity and how is it used in our life?

All About Visual Acuity!

Visual acuity is acuteness or clearness of vision, which is dependent on optical and neural factors. A person’s visual acuity tells if the person is very sharp in pointing out things in a picture or any other visual. In other words, the visual acuity of a person is determined by how much a person can observe things. Different methods to test visual acuity include the snellen chart which is basically the eye chart that doctors ask their patients to complete to see if they have 20/20 vision.

Jobs That Value Visual Acuity!

It is important for people to be tested on visual acuity to know whether or not they are ready for some of the jobs out there. One such job is the military, specifically the pilots. Pilots have to have good eyesight in order to fly the plane, control it, and shoot missiles at the enemy. They need to have good visual acuity in order to execute their tasks.

Jobs That Value Visual Acuity! (continued)

If a pilot doesn’t have a good visual acuity, they can’t fire and launch missiles directly at the enemy. In combat, it is especially important for a pilot to have bull’s-eye accuracy so they can shoot down enemies and control the plane themselves. This is why visual acuity testing is a crucial part for jobs like the military pilot.

Why Our Designs Are The Best For Visual Acuity Testing

Our designs force people to actually look deeply inside the picture. They force people to use their observation skills and eyesight very effectively. As you can see, our designs contain troublesome shapes and colors that really test a person’s visual acuity such as the colors black and white as well as the shapes: squares, triangles, and prisms. We understand that visual acuity is a very necessary test and we aim to provide the best techniques for creating designs that fully test a person’s eyesight.