Peter Thompson

Personal Details

Qualifications and Awards

Miscellaneous

Teaching

Research

Research Area

Perception of motion and speed. My research recently has focussed on the mechanisms underlying adaptation to motion and recovery from adaptation. This is linked with research on the effects of contrast on perceived speed. This research has led to the development of a physiologically plausibe model of motion processing in the early stages of vision that relies on the ratio of fast and slow temporal mechanisms. That the tuning characteristics of the underlying mechanisms of the model have some characteristics of parvo- and magno-cellular pathways is interesting.

I am not, nor ever have been, involved in serious research into face perception

Collaborators

Current research is in collaboration with Steve Hammett at Royal Holloway and Bedford College, funded by a Wellcome grant to Hammett and Thompson. Collaborating with Stuart Anstis of UCSD on aspects of the 'Footsteps Illusion'. Research collaboration with Michael Morgan at City University, funded by the Wellcome trust. Research project with Steve Hammett on visibility of cricket balls at low luminance and low contrast funded by the MCC

Grants

P. Thompson and R. Stone (2002-2004) ‘Perception Picture Pool: a web resource of images for visual perception’ HEFCE FDTL4 £74,908

P. Thompson 1994-1997 Effective 3-D displays from 2-D screens. Funded by British Aerospace (Military Aircraft Division) £46,000

P. Thompson 1997-1999 Stereoscopic displays. Funded by British Aerospace (Military Aircraft and Aerostructures) £154,628

P. Thompson and S.T. Hammett ‘(2001-2005) ‘Psychophysical and fMRI studies of perceived speed in the human visual system’. Wellcome Trust, £117,718

P. Thompson & R.Stone (2001) Web-based 'Powerpoint' resource library for perception University of York Fund for Innovation and Development in Teaching and Learning. £2683

Thompson, P. 2006 Viperlib ; Gift from Microsoft Research Ltd, External Research office. £25,000

=Morgan, M, Thompson, P., Grant, S., Fahle, & Rees, G. 2006-2009 ‘Sensori-motor Mechanisms of Extrapolation in Human Vision’. Wellcome Trust. £274,502

Thompson, P & Hammett S. 2007-2009 Effects on low contrast and low light on cricket. Funded by the MCC. £5,000

Publications

Hammett, S.T., Champion, R.A., Morland, A.B., & Thompson, P.G. (2005). A ratio model of perceived speed in the human visual system. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 272, 2351-2356.

Thompson, P, Papadopoulou, G. & Vassiliou, E. (2007) The origins of entasis: illusion, aesthetics or engineering? Spatial Vision 20 531-543

Hammett, S. T., Thompson, P. G., & Bedingham, S. The dynamics of velocity adaptation in human vision. Current Biology 10, (2000). 1123-1126.

Howe, P.D.L., Thompson, P., Anstis, S.M., Sagreiya, H., & Livingstone, M.S. (2006). Explaining the Footstaps, Bellydance, Wenceslas and Kickback illusions. Journal of Vision 6 1396-1405

Thompson, P., Brooks, K., & Hammett, S.T. (2006). Reducing stimulus contrast: speed can go up as well as down. Vision Research, 46, 782-786.

On Line Resources