14 May 2000
•Often considered the
most important cue to depth perception.
Motion parallax refers to the
apparent, relative motion of stationary objects as viewed by an observer who is moving across the
landscape. Near objects appear to move past or opposite the path of
motion; far objects seem to move in the
direction of motion or remain fixed.
The rate of apparent movement
depends on the distance the observer is from the objects. Objects
near the aircraft appear to move rapidly, while distant objects appear to be almost stationary. Thus objects that appear to be moving rapidly are judged to be at a greater
distance. For example, grass along a road goes past very rapidly because it is
close…trees a little farther out seem
to go by a little slower, and mountains in the far background of your view seem to either sit still or move
with you. From this, the mountains are judged to be at a greater
distance from the observer.
Motion
Parallax