Visual discrimination between small objects and large textured backgrounds


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ABSTRACT THE remarkable ability of certain higher order insect visual neurones to discriminate between movement of a small object or target and a large textured background has been clearly


demonstrated by Palka1,2 and O'Shea and Fraser-Rowell3. In addition, movement of a large textured background such as a windmill pattern is inhibitory to detection of motion of a small


target by this neurone, known as the descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD). The response of this identifiable neurone to motion of small objects is inhibited by rotation of the


windmill pattern over a specific range of high spatial frequencies of the pattern, but is augmented by low spatial frequencies in the pattern. For this neurone we have quantitatively


determined the spatial frequency at which the effect of the windmill pattern becomes inhibitory. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content,


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OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS SPIKE BURSTING IN A DRAGONFLY TARGET-DETECTING


NEURON Article Open access 17 February 2021 BEHAVIORAL DECOMPOSITION REVEALS RICH ENCODING STRUCTURE EMPLOYED ACROSS NEOCORTEX IN RATS Article Open access 04 July 2023 CONTRAST AND LUMINANCE


DEPENDENCE OF TARGET CHOICE AND VISUAL ORIENTATION IN WALKING STICK INSECTS Article Open access 10 April 2025 REFERENCES * Palka, J. _J. exp. Biol._ 50, 723–732 (1969). CAS  PubMed  Google


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Yakimoff, N. & Mitrani, L. _Vision Res._ 16, 489–492 (1976). Article  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Departments of Electrical


Engineering and Zoology, University of Washington (FT-10), Seattle, Washington, 98195 ROBERT B. PINTER Authors * ROBERT B. PINTER View author publications You can also search for this author


inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE PINTER, R. Visual discrimination between small objects and large textured


backgrounds. _Nature_ 270, 429–431 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/270429a0 Download citation * Received: 11 April 1977 * Accepted: 03 October 1977 * Issue Date: 01 December 1977 * DOI:


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