Random Dot Stereograms

The following two images are random dot stereograms that I made. After generating them, I wanted to see how much data your brain could interpret from them besides depth. I was pretty sure that your brain matched the corresponding dots based on relative changes and the local area surrounding each dot, and not just on the exact color of the dot. After all, if you put a colored filter in front of one of your eyes, you still perceive depth, even though the hue and intensity of all corresponding objects has been screwed up.

In the first image, I tried to overlay the depth map on the RDS. Clicking on the image will make that layer successively 10% less transparent until it is completely opaque. Note: The original depth map for the first stereogram is a series of concentric waves, but the overlayed depth map is a double image of this (one corresponding to each eye). Also, your screen resolution should be such that this image is about 7 inches wide.

This next random dot stereogram is of a more complicated scene that was generated from this painting. With the original color information available, I first tried to overlay a double image of the painted scene on the RDS (30% transparency worked best). It has a weird effect, but I think it helps show more of the depth information, especially with the apple in the lower left corner.

I then tried another overlay of the edges found on the depth map. This also has a strange effect, but it seems to help separate the objects from the background and each other. Also, in this case, I only overlayed one copy of the edge image (the one corresponding to your right eye) because there where too many overlapping edges with both. Click on the RDS to switch between the overlays.