Perception

Following Motion

This exhibit demonstrates how eye motion is affected by looking at moving stripes. Closing one eye, the visitor watches the stripes on the inside of a revolving drum. With a finger placed gently over the eyelid, the closed eye can be felt moving back and forth. Watching the moving stripes, the open eye briefly follows one stripe and then snaps back to catch the next one. The constant tracking motion keeps the perceived image from blurring. The eyes move together so the closed eye moves as the viewing eye moves.