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Predictivity Implies Prediction of Occlusion and Disocclusion Events

Taken as a starting point, this simple yet powerful predictivity principle has surprisingly rich implications. Suppose that we want to design a visual system that generates accurate predictions of the occlusion sequence in Figure 1a--d. If the depth relation between the rectangular occluder and the moving circle is known, then it is easy to predict the disappearance of the circle; the system would have to know only the location and velocity of the circle and of the occluder.

The reappearance of the circle (Figure 1d) is harder to predict; Figure 1c contains no direct evidence that a circle is about to appear anywhere. Nevertheless, if the visual system can predict accurately the reappearance of the circle, then it would more completely satisfy the predictivity principle. We therefore conclude that the predictivity principle implies that the visual system should predict disocclusion events like the reappearance of the circle in Figure 1d, as well as occlusion events.


next up previous
Next: Prediction of Disocclusion Up: The Predictivity Principle: Previous: The Predictivity Principle: