A hybrid image is an image that is
perceived in one of two different ways, depending on viewing distance, based on the way humans process visual input. A technique for creating hybrid images exhibiting this
optical illusion
Within visual perception, an optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is an illusion caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual perception, percept that arguably appears to differ from reality. Illusions come in a wide v ...
was developed by
Aude Oliva of
MIT and Philippe G. Schyns of
University of Glasgow, a method they originally proposed in 1994. Hybrid images combine the low
spatial frequencies of one picture with the high spatial frequencies of another picture, producing an image with an interpretation that changes with viewing distance.
Perhaps the most familiar example is one featuring
Albert Einstein and
Marilyn Monroe. Looking at the picture from a short distance, one can see a sharp image of Einstein, with only a hint of blurry distortion hinting at the presence of an overlaid image. Viewed from a distance in which the fine detail blurs, the unmistakable face of Monroe emerges.
See also
*
Optical illusions
References
External links
Hybrid ImagesHybrid Imagery set on flickrHybrid Image generator
Optical illusions
{{magic-stub