In perception, the kinetic depth effect refers to the phenomenon whereby the three-dimensional structural form of an object viewed in projection can be perceived only when the object is rotating.

If a shadow is cast by a rotating wire shape onto a screen, a viewer can readily perceive the shape of the structure behind the screen from the dynamic shadow pattern.

This is related to the extraction of structure from motion in computer vision. It is used in parallax scrolling.

Further reading

• Wallach, H. & O'Connell D. N. (1953). "The Kinetic Depth Effect". Journal of Experimental Psychology 45 205–217.
• Gibson, J. J. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Houghton Mifflin.
• Kauffman, L. (1974). Sight and Mind: An introduction to visual perception. Oxford University Press..

See also

• Optical illusion

External links

• Kinetic Depth Effect illustration
• Stereokinetic Phenomenon from Michael’s “Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena”