The quantitative understanding human visual sensitivity is important and has many applications. For example, a model of sensitivity can be used in the design of illuminated flight instruments in an aircraft cockpit.
This project is a biomechatronics/human-computer interaction (HCI) project. You will design and build a microcontroller-based LED device which can be used to deliver temporally and spatially precise visual stimuli. You'll then use this device in vision testing to quantify human visual sensitivity -- specifically, we're interested in sensitivity to small increments of light intensity, small decrements of light intensity, and the difference between increment/decrement sensitivities.
Recently, similar experiments have been done on computer-controlled organic LED (OLED) displays, or smartphone OLED displays. (Results from those experiments have been used to better understand the relationship between brain activity and visual sensitivity.) However, the visual stimuli used in those experiments lack temporal and spatial precision. The beauty of re-visiting those experiments, and similar experiments, with a custom microcontroller-based LED device is the precision it affords.
(There may also be scope within this project to make electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements (ie., measurements of the brain activity the supports increment/decrement sensitivity).)
keywords: human-computer interface (HCI); visual perception; light sensitivity; microcontrollers; real-time software
Undergraduate
None
Brain-Computer Interface (405.836C, Lab)