Neuronal Processing of Optic Flow

Book excerpt: When we walk, drive a car, or fly an airplane, visual motion is used to control and guide our movement. Optic flow describes the characteristic pattern of visual motion that arises in these situations. This book is the first to take an in-depth look at the neuronal processing strategies that underlie the brain's ability to analyze and use optic flow for the control of self-motion. It does so in a variety of species which use optic flow in different behavioral contexts. The spectrum ranges from flying insects to birds, higher mammals and man. The contributions cover physiological and behavioral studies as well as computational models. Neuronal Processing of Optic Flow provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview of the current state of research on this topic written by a group of authors who have made essential contributions to shaping this field of research over the last ten years. - Provides the first detailed overview of the analysis of complex visual motion patterns in the brain - Includes physiological, behavioral, and computational aspects of optic flow processing - Highlights similarities and differences between different animal species and behavioral tasks - Covers human patients with visual motion deficits - Enhances the reader's understanding with many illustrations