diepteambiguïteit

Diepteambiguïteit, often translated as depth ambiguity, refers to a perceptual phenomenon where the human visual system struggles to accurately determine the distance or depth of an object in a scene. This can occur due to various factors, primarily related to the lack of sufficient visual cues that our brains rely on to perceive depth.

Common cues for depth perception include binocular disparity (the slight difference in the image received by each eye), motion parallax (objects closer appear to move faster than objects farther away when the observer moves), and monocular cues such as linear perspective, relative size, occlusion, and texture gradients. When these cues are absent, weak, or contradictory, depth ambiguity can arise.

For instance, a photograph of a flat surface with a uniform texture might appear to have varying depths, or a scene with unfamiliar objects might be difficult to judge in terms of distance. Optical illusions often exploit depth ambiguity. In computer vision, depth ambiguity is a significant challenge, particularly in tasks like 3D reconstruction from single images or autonomous navigation, where accurate depth information is crucial for understanding the environment. Researchers employ various techniques, including stereo vision, depth sensors, and advanced algorithms, to overcome this inherent ambiguity.