Dr. Ruth Ellen Rosenholtz

Dr. Ruth Rosenholtz studies human vision, including visual search, peripheral vision, perceptual organization, and the impact of visual clutter on task performance. We take a three-pronged approach: (1) Computational modeling (computer vision-based, ideal observers, Monte Carlo simulations, and neurobiologically-inspired); (2) Behavioral experiments; and (3) Applying our models and understanding of human vision to applications such as image compression, design of user interfaces, and design of information visualizations.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

The visual system as statistician
(*) Does the visual system collect summary statistics in early vision?
(*) A model of peripheral vision
(*) Predicting recognition in the periphery
(*) Predicting visual search performance
(*) Predicting perception of visual illusions

Texture perception
(*) Shape-from-texture
(*) Models for texture segmentation.
(*) Segmenting images into textured and non-textured regions.

Visual search
(*) Visual search in cluttered environments – what is clutter?
(*) Models for visual search and “popout.”
(*) “Asymmetries” in visual search
(*) Effects of background color on color search

Application of human vision research to user interface design and information visualization
(*) Predicting what groups people will perceive in a design.
(*) Searching the web with enhanced thumbnails.
(*) Document browsing aids.
(*) “Doodle” icons to aid in searching for a computer file.
(*) Tools for visualizing a large document on a small display.
(*) Understanding clutter.

Perceptually-based image compression and image quality
(*) Reducing blocking effects in block transform coded images.
(*) Perceptually based coding of still images.