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J. Antonio Aznar and Audrey Bouquelet

Laboratorio de Percepción visual. Universidad de Barcelona (Spain).

e-mail: jaznar@psi.ub.es; audrey@retemail.es

Summary
In order to measure the spatial frequency and orientation bandwidths of stereo fusion
channels, we designed two experiments using sine wave gratings as stereo stimuli. In
the first experiment, we varied the spatial frequency contained in the right stereogram
and we maintained the spatial frequency of the left one and the orientation of both of
them. We measure the upper and lower stereo fusion limits of nine situations stated by
the combination 3 (scales) x 3 (orientations) of the gratings. The results showed that the
spatial frequency bandwidth decrease as a function of the gratings’ orientation. In the
second experiment, we varied the orientation of the right stereogram and fixed
orientation of the left one and the spatial frequencies of both of them. The results
showed that the orientation bandwidth vary as a function of the spatial frequency.

Introduction
The spatial frequencies (fs) contained in the stimuli can be considered as the most
important characteristic in retinal images. Many evidences (Campbell and Kulikowski,
1966; Blakemore and Campbell, 1969) have confirmed the existence, in the visual
cortex, of cells that respond preferentially when a bar, of a certain width and orientation,
coincides with a concrete spatial location in the retina, called receptive field (RF),
associated with this simple cell. From the psychophysical approach, the spatial
processing hypothesis with more empirical evidence is based on the idea that the visual
system (VS) is composed by a set of psychophysical channels tuned to a narrow range
of spatial frequencies (Campbell and Robson 1968). Once shown empirically that
different channels tuned to different fs exist in the human visual system (HVS), it was
important to know how many channels exist, how they act, what area of Fourier plane
they cover, what the spatial frequency and orientation bandwidths are and, finally, if the
channels tuned to binocular disparity exist. So far, the research reflects serious
disagreements in the estimates obtained by different authors.
In monocular research, Watson (1982) considered that the spatial frequency bandwidth
(Bfs) is equal to one octave and that the channels cover between 0.25 and 32 c/deg.
Therefore, that means there should exist eight fs channels. According to Wilson (1983)
six channels tuned to the spatial frequencies with values 0.8; 1.7; 2.8; 4; 8 and 16 c/deg
and a Bfs that vary between 1.3 and 2 octaves. With regard to the orientation bandwidth
(Bα), the estimate value is around 30 deg (Movshon and Blakemore, 1973), while some
authors establish it between 15 deg and 30 deg (Phillips and Wilson, 1984); others
(Campbell and Kulikowski, 1966) estimate it at 45 deg. In binocular research (stereo
fusion limits), Tyler (1983), using the masking paradigm, estimated the Bfs to be about
one octave, although Cobo-Lewis and Yeh (1994) estimated it at around 2 octaves.
Up to now, the fs and the orientation have always been studied separately, although
each stimulus has both a size and an orientation and these dimensions cannot be
dissociated. For this reason, we think that the channel tuned to the binocular disparity
should be two-dimensional. In this paper, from two psychophysical experiments, we
attempt to determine the Bfs and Bα of the binocular disparity detector channels and to
know their properties. Once known the lower and upper limits for stereo fusion for each
tuned pair (fs, α) parameters, it will be possible to calculate by subtraction (difference)
the Bfs and the Bα. Finally, we will be able to infer the properties of channels tuned to
binocular disparity, as well as their respective covering on the Fourier plane.

Experiment 1

The aim of this experiment consists of knowing, for different tuned spatial frequencies
selected (left stereograms), what the highest fs is (upper limit) and what the lowest fs is
(lower limit), which presented dichoptically we are able to fuse stereoscopically, fixing
the orientation in a constant value. The difference between the upper and the lower
limits indicates the Bfs.

1.1 Method
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The stereoscopic tests were applied to 2 adult subjects, the authors, who are experienced
in dichoptic stereo fusion and normal vision (20/20) and their stereoacuity was greater
than 40 sec of arc, according to the Titmus Stereo Test.

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We generate and present to the subjects a variety of visual stimuli (stereo pairs) by a
dedicated computer Intel Pentium-II 200 MHz, which employs a special graphic board
(PC-Stereoscope made by Vision Research Graphics). One Adi-Provista 15" was used
as a screen with 262x196 mm and 0.39 mm as the dot pitch (spatial resolution). Liquid-
crystal shutter glasses were connected to the graphic board, allowing us to use the
computer as a stereoscope. A chin allows us to fix the observation distance to 80 cm and
in this way the visual angle subtended by the stimulus was approximately constant.

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A 1.5 cycle of a sine-wave grating centred on a black image of 256x256 pixels, which
was a half stereogram. A frame with two pixels surrounding the image was the fixation
plane (zero disparity). We generate the sine-wave gratings by the following function:
I (L , M ) = /
0 (( ) )
+ $.cos 2. π . I 0 ( M.cos(α ) + L. VLQ(α )) + φ
Where (LM) are the spatial co-ordinate corresponding to the pixel f(i,j) of the grating; L0
is the mean luminance; A is the amplitude; f0 is the spatial frequency in cycles/degree;
α is the orientation of the sine-wave modulation in radians and φ is the phase in radians
also. The constrast between the lighter and darker stripes was m ≈ 1 (according to
Michelson compute) and the mean luminance corresponding to the background is
8cd/m2. When the subjects see this stereogram from a distance of 80 cm, the subtended
visual angle is 7.11deg. We generate nine different stereo tests as many as necessary to
combine 3 orientations (0, 45 and 90 deg) x 3 spatial frequencies (0.746, 1.492 and
2.984 cycles/deg). In each stereo test we fix: 1) the orientation of both the left and the
right half stereograms; 2) the fs corresponding only to the left half stereogram. But we
vary the fs corresponding to the right half stereogram in order to obtain both the lower
and the upper stereofusion limits. The Bfs obtained are the differences between the
upper and the lower limits. To summarize, we generate nine images as left half
stereograms and about 9 x 40= 360 images as right half stereograms, half of them in
order to obtain the lower stereofusion limits and the other half to obtain the upper
stereofusion limits.

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The task of the subjects consisted of fusing the lightest stripes of each half stereogram.
The disparity was produced by the difference between the spatial frequencies of the two
half stereograms of a stereo pair. In this stereo procedure, only if the fs of the standard
stimulus (the left half stereogram) coincides with that of the comparison stimulus (the
right half stereogram) a zero disparity will be produced.
Nine stereo tests were applied in order to get both the maximum and the minimum
difference in fs so that the subjects are able to fuse stereoscopically. We fixed the fs of
the left half stereogram in every stereo test and varied the fs in the right half
stereograms until we found the lower and upper limit for stereo fusion. The subjects
were previously trained to detect whether was possible to fuse a stereo pair. In order to
design the stereo tests we applied the PHWKRGRIFRQVWDQWVWLPXOL and as in the task of the
subjects a WZRDOWHUQDWLYHIRUFHGFKRLFH (2-AFC) paradigm was used. We considered it
necessary to fuse at least 60% of the stereo pairs that have been shown to surpass the
criterion for stereofusion ability.

1.2 Results
This experiment allowed us to discover the minimum fs (lower limit) and the maximum
(upper limit), we are able to fuse stereoscopically. The figure 1 shows the stereofusion
limits (in pixels/cycle) as a function of the tuned fs, fixing a constant orientation of the
sine-wave gratings. We found three important aspects: first, an inverse relation between
the fs and the grating size with stimuli oriented at 90 deg and 45 deg. Second, we noted
a asymmetry in the Bfs. Finally, we observed an overlapping between the channels,
which is greater for the 0 deg orientation than for the 45 deg (see the shaded region in
figure 1).

FIGURE 1: Spatial period bandwidths corresponding to three tuned spatial frequencies

(0.746, 1.492 and 2.984 c/deg) as a function of the preferred orientation.

When we gauge the Bfs of the disparity detector channels in octaves, in case of the
stimuli are oriented at 90deg, for the low frequencies is equal to 2.07 octaves, for the
middle is equal to 2.17 octaves and for the high is equal to 2.27 octaves. So we found
that the Bfs is relatively constant, varying by around two octaves. With stimuli oriented
at 45deg, the pattern of results is similar to that of 90 deg, but the frequency bandwidths
are narrower. In the case of 0 deg orientation, we note that the Bfs is null (zero) for all
the spatial frequencies.
Experiment 2

The aim of this experiment is to know, for different tuned orientations selected (left
stereograms), what the maximum orientation is (upper limit) and what the minimum
orientation is (lower limit), which when presented dichoptically, we are able to fuse
stereoscopically, fixing the fs in a constant value. The difference between the upper and
the lower limits of orientation indicates the Bα.

2.1 Method
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The stereoscopic tests were applied to the same subjects, the authors, who took part in
experiment 1.

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See experiment 1 for a description.

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In a similar way to experiment 1, a 1.5 cycle of a sine-wave gratings with dimensions

256x256 pixels were used as stereograms. In this experiment we designed 15 different
stereo tests by combining 3 spatial frequencies (0.746, 1.492 and 2.984 cycles/deg) x 5
orientations (0, 30, 45, 60 and 90 degrees). In each stereo test we fixed: 1) the fs of both
the left half stereogram and the right one; 2) the orientation corresponding only to the
left half stereogram. But we varied the orientation corresponding to the right half
stereogram in order to obtain both the lower and the upper stereofusion limits. In brief,
we generated fifteen images as left half stereograms and about 15 x 30= 450 images as
right half stereograms, half of them in order to obtain the lower stereofusion limits and
the other half in order to obtain the upper stereofusion limits.

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As we have already mentioned (see experiment 1), the task of the subjects consisted of
fusing the lightest stripes of each half stereogram. The disparity was produced by the
difference between the orientation of the two half stereograms of a stereo pair. In this
stereo procedure, only if the orientation of the standard stimulus (the left half
stereogram) coincides with that of the comparison stimulus (the right half stereogram) a
zero disparity will be produced.
We had designed 15 stereo tests, in which we fixed the fs and the orientation of the left
half stereogram in each stereo test and varied the orientation in the right half stereogram
until we found the lower and upper limit in different orientation for stereo fusion. As in
experiment 1, we applied the PHWKRG RI FRQVWDQW VWLPXOL and a 2-AFC paradigm was
used. We also adopted the same criterion for the stereofusion ability that we described
in experiment 1. We will call the XSSHU OLPLW the maximum difference in orientation in
positive sense (clock wise) and we will call the ORZHU OLPLW the maximum difference in
orientation in negative sense (anti-clock wise). Finally, we calculate the Bα (in degrees)
by subtracting of the lower from the upper limit.

2.2 Results
After we applied the stereo tests to the subjects, we had the lower and upper limits for
stereofusion, which allowed us to obtain the Bα. In Figure 2, we can see the Bα
corresponding to the three preferred spatial frequencies as a function of the preferred
orientation of the channels. This figure illustrates some important characteristics of the
channels. First, it shows that the low-frequencies (I = 0.746 c/deg) have the Bα greater
than middle and high-frequencies (I = 1.492 and I= 2.984 c/deg). Therefore, there exists
a inverse relation between the preferred fs of the channel and the Bα. Second, the
further the preferred orientation of the channel is from 0 deg, the smaller the Bα. Third,
there is an overlapping between the channels, which is greater for low-frequencies than
for high-frequencies (see the shaded region in figure 2). Finally, the bandwidths of these
channels are not symmetrical.

FIGURE 2: Orientation bandwidths corresponding to five channels tuned to the

preferred orientations, one for each preferred fs.

On the other hand, when we represent the lower and upper orientation limits, indicated
by the vertical and horizontal disparity ratio (∇y/∇x), as a function of the preferred fs,
we verify that both limits are independent of the preferred spatial frequencies, but for
every preferred orientation there exist a lower and an upper limit (see Figure 3).
Besides, the nearer it is to the horizontal orientation of the stripes in the grating, we
process less vertical disparity and vice versa.

FIGURE 3.- Vertical and horizontal disparity ratio (∇y/∇x) as a function of the
preferred spatial frequency.

Discussion
We designed and applied two complementary experiments in order to estimate Bfs and
Bα. In these experiments we measured, on the one hand, the capacity of the stereofusion
channels to fuse stereo pairs containing gratings with different spatial frequencies in the
same orientation and, on the other hand, the capacity of the channels to fuse stereo pairs
containing gratings with different orientation, but the same fs.
The results of these experiments indicated the following properties of the stereofusion
channels. First, the existence of the size-disparity correlation found by Tyler (1973) and
Smallman & McLeod (1994) was confirmed. That means that there is an inverse
relation between the tuned fs of a stereo channel and the lower and upper stereofusion
limits. Second, our estimation of the frequency bandwidth of the channels disagrees
with that obtained by Tyler (1983), who affirmed it was equal to 1 octave. However, our
estimation agrees with that obtained by Cobo-Lewis and Yeh (1994), who affirmed it
was equal to 2 octaves. Nevertheless, these authors studied vertically oriented features
alone, while for other different orientations we verify that the frequency bandwidths
diminish the nearer it is to the horizontal orientation. Third, our measurement of the Bα
are agree with that obtained by Phillips and Wilson (1984), who report that it varies
between 15-30 degrees. We add that the Bα is wider for vertically oriented features and
narrower it gets to the horizontal. We also proved that the channels tuned to low–
frequency show a Bα wider than those tuned to high-frequency . Forth, we observed an
asymmetry both in Bfs and in Bα: the distance from the tuned fs (or from the tuned
orientation) to the upper limit is uneven to the distance to the lower limit. Fifth, we
found an overlapping among the tuned bands of the channels, in Bfs and Bα. Finally,
when we represented the stereofusion limits, by means of the ratio between the vertical
disparity and the horizontal disparity, we found that there exists a different limit for
each channel tuned to a specific orientation, but that limit is independent of the tuned fs
in the two-dimensional channels tuned to both the fs and the orientation.

Acknowledgements
This paper has been supported by project PB95-0266 from Spanish Commision for
Science and Technology (DGES).

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