Perceiving spatial relationships in computer-generated images

The sources of visual information that must be present to correctly interpret spatial relations in images, the relative importance of different visual information sources with regard to metric judgments of spatial relations in images, and the ways that the task in which the images are used affect the visual information's usefulness are discussed. Cue theory, which states that the visual system computes the distances of objects in the environment based on information from the posture of the eyes and from the patterns of light projected onto the retinas by the environment, is presented. Three experiments in which the influence of pictorial cues on perceived spatial relations in computer-generated images was assessed are discussed. Each experiment examined the accuracy with which subjects matched the position, orientation, and size of a test object with a standard by interactively translating, rotating, and scaling the test object     

Application of a convolver chip to anti-aliasing computer-generated images

Aliasing artefacts may be reduced or removed from computer-generated images by using convolution filtering. In this paper the causes of aliasing artefacts are examined, the use of convolution filters for their removal or reduction is proposed and the application of the MA7180 convolver chip for this purpose is explored. Examples of particular filter configurations are used to illustrate possible applications to computer-generated image data streams.     

Learning to assess visual aesthetics of food images

Computational Visual Media - Distinguishing aesthetically pleasing food photos from others is an important visual analysis task for social media and ranking systems related to food. Nevertheless,...     

Compression assessment based on medical image quality concepts using computer-generated test images

Compression algorithms are widely used in medical imaging systems for efficient image storage, transmission, and display. In the acceptance of lossy compression algorithms in the clinical environment, important factors are the assessment of 'visually lossless' compression thresholds, as well as the development of assessment methods requiring fewer data and time than observer performance based studies. In this study a set of quantitative measurements related to medical image quality parameters is proposed for compression assessment. Measurements were carried out using region of interest (ROI) operations on computer-generated test images, with characteristics similar to radiographic images. As a paradigm, the assessment of the lossy Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) algorithm, available in a telematics application for healthcare, is presented. A compression ratio of 15 was found as the visually lossless threshold for the JPEG lossy algorithm, in agreement with previous observer performance studies. Up to this ratio low contrast discrimination is not affected, image noise level is decreased, high contrast line-pair amplitude is decreased by less than 3%, and input/output gray level differences are minor (less than 1%). This type of assessment provides information regarding the type of loss, offering cost and time benefits, in parallel with the advantages of test image adaptation to the requirements of a certain imaging modality and clinical study.     

Informational aesthetics measures.

The Birkhoff aesthetic measure of an object is the ratio between order and complexity. Informational aesthetics describes the interpretation of this measure from an information-theoretic perspective. From these ideas, the authors define a set of ratios based on information theory and Kolmogorov complexity that can help to quantify the aesthetic experience.     

Computational models and experimental investigations of effects of balance and symmetry on the aesthetics of text-overlaid images

This article describes computational models based on principles of visual weights to compute the symmetry and balance of text-overlaid images. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of symmetry and balance on the aesthetic appeal of text-overlaid images. In the first experiment, five color photos were used to compose a set of test images overlaid with a paragraph of Chinese texts as the stimuli. Contrastly, the second experiment applied monochrome photos to compute the stimuli. The positions of the text overlay were determined by varying the balance and symmetry in order to validate computational aesthetic quantification algorithms with subjective ratings. The stimuli were rated by 20 subjects in each experiment using the ratio-scale magnitude estimation method against a benchmark image for each photo. Results from both experiments show that subjects are adept at judging symmetry and balance in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Subjects are also adept at judging radial symmetry about the center point of an image. The experiments also established a relationship between a higher averaged visual balance and the aesthetic appeal of text-overlaid images. Symmetry in either direction, however, did not result in any proportional relations to the aesthetic appeal.     

A system to understand hand-drawn floor plans using subgraph isomorphism and Hough transform

Presently, man-machine interface development is a widespread research activity. A system to understand hand drawn architectural drawings in a CAD environment is presented in this paper. To understand a document, we have to identify its building elements and their structural properties. An attributed graph structure is chosen as a symbolic representation of the input document and the patterns to recognize in it. An inexact subgraph isomorphism procedure using relaxation labeling techniques is performed. In this paper we focus on how to speed up the matching. There is a building element, the walls, characterized by a hatching pattern. Using a straight line Hough transform (SLHT)-based method, we recognize this pattern, characterized by parallel straight lines, and remove from the input graph the edges belonging to this pattern. The isomorphism is then applied to the remainder of the input graph. When all the building elements have been recognized, the document is redrawn, correcting the inaccurate strokes obtained from a hand-drawn input. Received 6 June 1996 / Accepted 4 February 1997     

Measuring level of cuteness of baby images: a supervised learning scheme

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The attractiveness of a baby face image depends on the perception of the perceiver. However, several recent studies advocate the idea that human perceptual...     

The use of computer-generated bivariate charts in anthropometric design

The design of workspaces and consumer products using the bivariate approach is an important, but cumbersome process because of the general unavailability of the proper bivariate charts and the calculations required. This paper presents a simplified method for bivariate anthropometric design using computer generated charts. These charts are created based on the assumption that the appropriate anthropometric data can be adequately represented by the bivariate normal distribution. Four basic bivariate design types are chosen for the study and the ability to derive other types from them is detailed. This paper presents the necessary charts and tables for quick and easy reference in order to determine cutoffs based on the simplifying assumption that the bivariate target percentage will be met by using either equal or complementary univariate cutoff values for each variable as determined by the design problem. Examples show how to use the charts and tables for different design types.     

Measuring color breakup of stationary images in field‐sequential‐color displays

Abstract— Color breakup is an artifact perceivable on field‐sequential‐color (FSC) displays, both in stationary and in moving images. In this work, a unique device and a method for measuring color breakup on stationary images is proposed. Rotating the field of view of a high‐speed measurement camera in milliseconds simulates saccadic behavior. The target can be a virtual display, a direct‐view display or a projector image. Captured images can be used for quantifying the color breakup of a target display. The results along with an exploration of their application to breakup characterization will be presented.     

Unity enhances product aesthetics and emotion

Although the aesthetic properties of a product are likely associated with users' emotional responses, empirical evidence does not explain how the aesthetic properties of a product evoke an emotional response. This study presents the hypothesis that users' emotions are evoked when they observe an aesthetically pleasing product with unity. The results implied that a product form with more unity had a greater likelihood of affecting users' positive emotions compared with those with less unity, and that the unity aesthetic may act as a mediator in evoking emotion. In addition, the results confirmed that products composed of curvier elements tended to evoke a stronger pleasure response compared with those defined by straight lines. A systematic approach, namely the decision tree method, acts as a unity design guideline for the enhancement of product aesthetics, which may evoke users’ pleasure responses further.Relevance to industryOur findings imply that a product form with more unity had a greater likelihood of affecting users’ positive emotions compared with those with less unity. In addition, a systematic approach, namely the decision tree method, acts as a unity design guideline for the enhancement of product aesthetics, which may apply for designing products with pleasures.     

On the aesthetics of inversion and osculation

The goal of this article is to present an informal introduction and tutorial on certain graphical aspects of inversion and osculation for the non-mathematician and to present artistic renditions using these methods.     

Design aesthetics leading to m-loyalty in mobile commerce

Researchers have previously examined the technology acceptance model (TAM) in many contexts, including the Internet. More recently TAM has been enhanced to include a hedonic component of enjoyment but the effect has rarely been investigated in a mobile commerce context. In addition, specific antecedents of TAM related to design aesthetics have not been examined within the mobile domain. Our research filled these gaps, and discovered that visual design aesthetics did significantly impact perceived usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment, all of which ultimately influenced users’ loyalty intentions towards a mobile service.     

Increasing trust in mobile commerce through design aesthetics

The growth of mobile commerce (m-commerce) has motivated a better understanding of how trust can be built on a mobile device. Researchers have previously examined design aesthetics (or visual aesthetics) of mobile website and incorporated a hedonic component of enjoyment in m-commerce domain, but the relationship between design aesthetics of mobile website design and customer trust in m-commerce has been rarely investigated. In this study, design aesthetics was enhanced to include a website characteristics component as important to trust development on the mobile Internet. This model was examined through an empirical study involving 200 subjects using structural equation modeling techniques. Our research found that design aesthetics did significantly impact website characteristics component, especially customization, perceived usefulness and ease of use, all of which were ultimately shown to have significant explanatory power in affecting customer trust.     

Cleopatra's necklace and the aesthetics of osculatory growth

This paper provides an introduction to simple techniques for visualizing a large class of intricate shapes generated by osculatory packing of cylinders and spheres.