Understanding how we perceive motion can have practical benefits. Physicians assume that the senses are not trustworthy and rely on instruments to work around sensory illusions. To psychologists illusions are like microscopes, making visible the hidden mechanisms of the mind. Vision has evolved to give us a picture of the world, and daily survival, not to mention survival of the species, depends on its accuracy. Lives can be cut short when this picture is inaccurate.
People underestimate the speed of large objects, for example.
There are more car-train accidents at ungated railroad crossings than anyone would expect. It may be that older people are more prone to underestimating the speed of large objects, which could account for the reported high incidence of car-pedestrian accidents involving older people. Research in the perception of motion could lead to ways to alter the appearance of large vehicles so that people could judge their speed accurately. Progress like this awaits a clearer understanding of motion perception. Our research addresses these questions.