2025

2025 Demo Night

Demos: Monday, May 19, 2025, 7:00 – 10:00 pm, Talk Room 1-2

Please join us Monday evening for the 21st VSS Demo Night, a spectacular night of imaginative demos solicited from VSS members. The demos highlight the important role of visual displays in vision research and education.

This year’s Demo Night will be organized and curated by Daw-An Wu, Cal-Tech; Peter Kohler, York University; Anna Kosovicheva, University of Toronto Mississauga; and Gideon Caplovitz, University of Nevada, Reno.

Demos are free to view for all registered VSS attendees and their families and guests.

VSS 2025 Demo Night ProgramDownload

The following demos will be presented from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, in the Island Ballroom and Jacaranda Hall

The Anne Boleyn Illusion and Other Mirror-Based Bodily Illusions

Grant Fairchild, Zhihan (Hannah) Guo, Stephanie Dietz, Jared Medina, Emory University
The Anne Boleyn Illusion uses a mirror box setup to produce a robust perception of a phantom sixth finger. This illusion and related mirror box illusions show that perception of the body’s location, orientation, and even its organization can be distorted by bottom-up sensory cues, including visuotactile and visuoproprioceptive synchrony.

La Hire Phenomenon: Seeing One’s Own Blind Spots and Retinal Blood Vessels

Charles Wu, Independent Researcher
I will demo the La Hire phenomenon: To see one’s own blind spots as black, white, or colored holes in their visual field. Linking this phenomenon to the neuroanatomical fact that the blind spot is represented in V1-L4, I claim that V1-L4 is the neural substrate for visual sensation.

Beuchet Chair

Tim Andrews, University of York
A Classic illusion setup that shrinks or enlarges the people and objects around the chair. Two parts of the chair, made at very different size scales, are placed at just the right distance to match in the eye. The failure of the visual system’s size constancy causes people to be shrunk or made giants. Explore the space around it, and add your own visual coincidences.

Travelling wave paradoxes

Christopher W. Tyler1, Josh Solomon2, and Stuart Anstis3; 1Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute; 2City St George’s, University of London; 3UC San Diego
Longitudinal wave propagation is a well-known concept in physical acoustics, but unstudied as a perceptual phenomenon (unlike transverse waves, as commonly used for motion perception). Viewed visually, we show that it is strikingly nonlinear, has paradoxical forward and reverse phases that can be attentionally segregated, and generates no motion aftereffect.

Try out a spatio-spectral-temporal light logger

Geoffrey Aguirre, Zachary Kelly, Samantha Montoya, University of Pennsylvania
Try out a compact, all-day light-logger, and share your demo night experience with an audience. Wander the demo hall wearing the unit (which features prescription lenses), and data from the world and pupil camera, mini-spectrometer, and accelerometer will be broadcast to a screen for the audience to see.

Contour Erasure and Filling-in

Yih-Shiuan Lin1, Chien-Chung Chen2; Mark W. Greenlee1, Stuart Anstis3; University of Regensburg; National Taiwan University; 3University of California, San Diego
Here in our demos, you will see several examples of the fascinating contour erasure effect: objects of various shapes and sizes completely disappear into the background or merge together after only a short adaptation period on their contours. We will show you some old and new variations of contour erasure since its discovery.

Additive contrast and motion blur – unique perceptual aspects with Augmented Reality and head-mounted displays

Xiuyun Wu, Saeideh Ghahghaei Nezamabadi, Takahiro Doi, James Wilmott; Meta Platforms, Inc.
Check out the unique perceptual challenges with Augmented Reality and head-mounted displays, regarding how additivity and head movements affect the visual quality of virtual contents! In this demo, we showcase how virtual faces and text look on top of different backgrounds, and how motion blur changes with your head movements.

Eye Duel: Balloon Burst Showdown

Kurt Debono, Marcus Johnson, SR-Research Ltd.
Take on a collaborative eye movement challenge. Experience synchronised tracking of both you and your opponent’s gaze. Inflate your balloon by looking at it and burst it to win. Deflate your opponent’s balloon with your gaze to slow them down.

Celebrity EYE-Q: Holistic face processing in a tabletop game

Didi Dunin, Ben van Buren, The New School
Here we introduce a tabletop card game called Celebrity EYE-Q, in which players guess celebrities from their eyes, and learn about holistic face processing. Players must guess celebrities while viewing their eyes in isolation or held up to other players’ eyes to elicit disruptive processing by surrounding facial features.

Is your central foveal parvo system long wavelength (red) cone dominant or medium wavelength (green) cone dominant?

Lingyu Gan, George Sperling, University of California, Irvine
Traditional methods of determining isoluminance determine only magno isoluminance, which is trivial because the magno system, like the rod system, is monochromatic. We demonstrate unimpaired grating resolution in parvo isoluminance, which can be long wavelength (red) cone dominant, medium wavelength (green) cone dominant, or mixed. The demonstration determines this classification for individual viewers.

Magic Metamers and Saccadic Suppression, Hidden in Plain Sight

Peter April, Jean-Francois Hamelin, Dr. Jonathan Tong, VPixx Technologies
Can visual information be hidden in plain sight? We use the PROPixx multispectral projector to display a secret message hidden in a uniform field using chromatic metamers. Look through a filter to reveal the hidden message! Back by popular demand, the PROPixx 1440Hz projector demonstrates visual processing during saccades. We present a word which is only visible during your saccades. The player with the fastest word sighting wins a drink ticket!

Visual Phenomena from the Journal of Illusion

Arthur G Shapiro1, Stuart Anstis2, Alex Gokan1; 1American University; 2UC San Diego
The Journal of Illusion has been in operation since 2019 with Akiyoshi Kitaoka as founder and editor. Here we will present some phenomena that have been published in JoI since that time, including some illusions from the authors of this demo.

Level Up Your Aim: Feel Your Way to Perfect Shots in VR!

Ailene Chan, Caltech
Tired of missing your shots? We’ve got you covered! Experience an FPS game with unparalleled precision using vibro-tactile feedback. Feel the difference as adaptive haptic feedback sharpens your aim, and compete to top the leaderboard. Perfect your shots – immersion redefined!

A world without color: Monochromatic light room

Helen E. Feibes1, Spencer R. Loggia1,2, Karthik Kasi1; 1National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health; 2Department of Neuroscience, Brown University
We provide an immersive experience of the world without color using monochromatic sodium light (589 nm). The demo highlights the myriad benefits color provides in natural vision. It also showcases a surprising finding: That faces, and only faces, provoke a paradoxical memory color, appearing greenish (Hassantash et al, 2019).

Compete with your colleagues for the focused visual attention prize!

Ian Buscay, Robert Lee, Cambridge Research Systems Ltd.
We will use the Brite functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system and the highly precise Display++ visual display to measure your ability to focus your visual attention in this game of skill. Bring your “A” game (as in Attention), or risk being shown up by your colleagues.

Caricature Effect in Data Visualization

Jeremy Wilmer1, Sarah Kerns2; 1Wellesley College; 2Dartmouth College
A hands-on exploration of a striking phenomenon in data visualization: the Caricature Effect.

The Bar Cross Ellipse Illusion

Gideon Caplovitz, University of Nevada Reno
Use your powers of mentalization to take control over your phenomenological experiences in this dynamic quad-stable stimulus!

Immersive Insights: Integrating eye-tracking and biosensors in XR with SilicoLabs and Brain Vision

Kyla Alsbury-Nealy, SilicoLabs
A physical exploration at the frontier of visual neuroscience research, combining eye-tracking from Pupil Labs and brain signals to create a unique experience. Witness real-time neuro-gaze interactions in an immersive Extended Reality (XR) environment powered by LABO, offering a glimpse into the future of research.

The UW Virtual Brain Project

Melissa Schoenlein1, Ross Treddinick2, Nathaniel Miller3, Chris Racey4, Simon Smith2, Kudirat Alimi2, Yash Sancheti2, Chris Castro5, Bas Rokers6, & Karen B. Schloss2,7 ; 1Department of Psychology, High Point University; 2Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 3University of Minnesota Medical School; 4Psychology, University of Sussex; 5College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 6Department of Psychology, New York University, Abu Dhabi; 7Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Take a tour through the sensory systems of the human brain in the UW Virtual Brain ProjectTM. The VR lessons provide immersive experiences of information flow from sensory input to cortical processing. Evidence suggests these experiences are fun and easy to use, which can advance neuroscience education.

Strobe Hallucinations: A Window into Altered Visual Perception

Nathan H. Heller, Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
Open your mind to the wild world of Strobe Hallucinations! This interactive demo uses controlled stroboscopic stimulation to induce dynamic, kaleidoscopic percepts that mimic visual effects experienced during altered states of consciousness. Discover how simple, flickering light can profoundly transform perception and reveal surprising features about the brain’s visual processing mechanisms.

Five Illusions Challenge Our Understanding of Visual Experience

Paul Linton, Columbia University
Try the illusions from my VSS Poster “Experiential3D”: [1]. VISUAL INFERENCE: “Perceived Real-World Depth is Not Inverted in the Hollow Face Illusion” (Linton Un-Hollow Face Illusion). [2]. VISUAL SCALE: “Visual Scale is Governed by Accentuated 3D Shape from Horizontal Disparities” (Linton Scale Illusion). [3]. VISUAL SHAPE: “Perceived Stereo Depth Reflects Retinal Disparities, Not 3D Geometry” (Linton Stereo Illusion). [4]. SIZE CONSTANCY: “Size Constancy Does Not Affect Perceived Angular Size” (Linton Size Constancy Illusion). [5]. COLOR CONSTANCY: “Color Constancy Does Not Affect Perceptual Appearance” (Linton Color Constancy Illusion). For more information, please see  https://FiveIllusions.Github.io

Magnetic Sand Illusions: Action Capture

Shinsuke Shimojo, Shengjie Zheng, Eiko Shimojo, Caltech
On top of a dynamic white noise display, move one’s finger/hand. When drawing a letter slowly, it leaves a trace but fades. When the hand moves back and forth on the display, nearby dots seem to follow or be captured by it and follow the hand’s direction. All in these illusions, the display appears as though it is interactive with action.

Me and my Shadow

Stuart Anstis, UC San Diego
Your elongated shadow at sunset is a perfect, vertically-stretched replica of your body. But size- constancy failure makes your shadow’s head look tiny compared with its feet, A long generic shadow is projected from above onto the ground at your feet. You adjust the shadow’s taper until it looks “right”.

Strobo-Pong

VSS Demo Night Staff
Experience the chaos of table tennis under conditions of motion perception breakdown. Recreate a live demo of the classic flash-lag illusion (but please, no smoking). Note for the photosensitive: The room will be illuminated only by a flashing strobe

Science across Countries and Cultures: Does Difference make a Difference?

Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:45 – 2:30 pm EDT, Palm/Sabal/Sawgrass

Organizers: Anya Hurlbert (Newcastle University); Shin’ya Nishida (Kyoto University); Rich Krauzlis (Salk Institute); Jes Parker (University of Tennessee-Knoxville)
Moderator: Anya Hurlbert (Newcastle University)
Speakers: Yuko Yotsumoto (University of Tokyo); Reuben Rideaux (University of Sydney); Rosa Lafer-Sousa (University of Wisconsin-Madison); Jenny Bosten (University of Sussex)

This workshop looks at how vision science is done across cultures and countries, recognising and celebrating the fact that VSS is an international community. We aim to explore differences in barriers to collaboration and success, and consider the variety of directives, initiatives and biases that influence the practice of science across different institutions.  The discussion will be led by speakers from around the world, including Yuko Yotsumoto from the University of Tokyo, Reuben Rideaux from the University of Sydney, Rosa Lafer-Sousa from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Jenny Bosten from the University of Sussex.

All attendees are warmly invited. We want to hear your views on how differences between individual backgrounds, cultures, and countries influence the practice and profile of science, and how we can collectively make a stronger, more cohesive and impactful community.

Refreshments and light lunch will be available.

Yoko Yotsumoto, PhD

University of Tokyo, Japan

Yuko Yotsumoto is a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo and a Director of the UTokyo Institute for Diversity and Adaptation of Human Mind. She received her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Tokyo and earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Brandeis University in 2005. Following her Ph.D., she conducted postdoctoral research at Boston University and Massachusetts General Hospital before returning to Japan to establish her lab. Her research investigates time and timing perception across timescales from milliseconds to minutes, using psychophysics, neural measurements, and computational modeling. She actively encourages her students to pursue international careers, and many graduates from her lab have gone on to conduct academic research around the world.

Reuben Rideaux, PhD

University of Sydney, Australia

Reuben Rideaux is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the University of Queensland’s Brain Institute. Prior to this, he was a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the University of Cambridge and a PhD student at the Australian National University. He combines computational modelling, brain imaging, and psychophysics to study perception and cognition. He has a particular interest in developing new methods for understanding brain function and dysfunction, such as bio-inspired artificial intelligence systems, high resolution functional MR spectroscopy, and neural decoding.

Rosa Lafer-Sousa, PhD

University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Rosa Lafer-Sousa received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Wellesley College in 2009, and her Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT under the supervision of Nancy Kanwisher. Her postbaccalaureate and doctoral work with Bevil Conway and Nancy Kanwisher aimed to shed light on the functional architecture of the primate visual system and establish links between neural activity, perception, and behavior, with a focus on color as a model system. Rosa is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at NIMH in the Laboratory of Neuropsychology working with, Dr. Arash Afraz in the Unit on Neurons, Circuits, and Behavior, where she investigates the causal role of mid and high-level visual regions in perception and behavior using optogenetics and electrophysiology in macaques. She will soon join the Department of Psychology at University of Wisconsin-Madison as an Assistant Professor.

Jenny Bosten, PhD

University of Sussex, UK

Jenny Bosten is Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, specialising in colour vision and individual differences, using neuroimaging, psychophysics and statistical modelling.  Her PhD research was with Professor John Mollon in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge on the influence of spatial context on visual perception. She worked as a Research Fellow in Neuroscience at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (2008-2010 and 2012-2014) on the genetics of individual variation in visual traits and as a post-doctoral researcher at UC San Diego in the lab of Professor Donald MacLeod (2010-2012), where she used psychophysics to investigate colour perception and visual adaptation. She holds major funding from the EU and is highly active in the UK and international colour vision societies.

Anya Hurlbert, MD, PhD

Newcastle University, UK

Anya Hurlbert is a VSS Board member, and Professor of Visual Neuroscience at Newcastle University, where she co-founded the former Institute of Neuroscience and now steers the Centre for Transformative Neuroscience. From Texas originally, with Latvian heritage, she holds degrees from US (Princeton, MIT and Harvard) and UK (Cambridge) institutions, in physics, physiology, brain and cognitive sciences, and medicine. Her research interests include colour perception and its role in cognition and behaviour, with applications in imaging, lighting, and visual art, and the use of AI in ophthalmology. Through her work as Dean of Advancement at Newcastle University and in other roles she supports and promotes opportunities in science and education for students, early career researchers and the public, especially those from underserved backgrounds.