Depth Perception (monocular & binocular cues)

Visual Cliff experiment

Infants aged 6–14 months refused to crawl over the “deep” side, showing that depth perception is at least partly innate.

Binocular Cues

Use both eyes to judge depth — best for nearby objects.

Retinal Disparity

Each eye sees a slightly different image. The brain compares the two → the greater the difference, the closer the object.

Convergence

The more your eye roates the closer it is. Eyes turn inward to focus on nearby objects.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues that work with just one eye — used for long distances

Linear Perspective

Parallel lines appear to converge as they get farther away.

Texture Gradient

Closer objects have more detail; distant ones appear smoother.

Relative Size

If two objects are the same actual size, the one appearing larger is closer

Interposition

If one object blocks another, it’s perceived as closer.

Relative Clarity

Nearby objects appear clearer; distant ones are hazier