Hardness perceptions of the visual penetrating motion influenced by velocity change

Abstract

Humans perceive the various physical properties of objects based on visual motion. We examined the influence of prepenetration and penetration velocity changes (deceleration, constant velocity, and acceleration) and average velocity during penetration on visual hardness judgments of virtual objects. Eleven participants judged the surface and internal hardness of penetrated objects using an analog scale. They were asked to judge the relative hardness of the penetrated objects compared with a standard pattern with no changes in velocity. The results showed that perceived surface hardness was greater when the penetrating object decelerated during prepenetration or accelerated during penetration, and internal hardness was less when the velocity changed from constant velocity during prepenetration to deceleration during penetration, or when the average velocity was higher during penetration than prepenetration. These results suggest that visual hardness perception is influenced by velocity changes and average velocity during penetration. Furthermore, our findings imply that prepenetration velocity change, which is not directly related to actual penetration in a natural environment, is also related to the perception of physical properties of the visual motion. © Japanese Psychological Association 2011.