Stereoscopic Surface Interpolation from Illusory Contours

Stereoscopic Kanizsa figures are an example of stereoscopic interpolation of an illusory surface. In such stimuli, luminance-defined disparity signals exist only along the edges of inducing elements, but observers reliably perceive a coherent surface that extends across the central region in depth. The aim of this series of experiments was to understand the nature of the disparity signal that underlies the perception of illusory stereoscopic surfaces. I systematically assessed the accuracy and precision of suprathreshold depth percepts using a collection of Kanizsa figures with a wide range of 2D and 3D properties. For comparison, I assessed similar perceptually equated figures with luminance-defined surfaces, with and without inducing elements. A cue combination analysis revealed that observers rely on ordinal depth cues in conjunction with stereopsis when making depth judgements. Thus, 2D properties (e.g. occlusion features and luminance relationships) contribute rich information about 3D surface structure by influencing perceived depth from binocular disparity.