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When we look directly at an object, the image falls mostly on the fovea, a tiny portion of the retina. The brain must compute the three-dimensional structure of reality (width, height, and depth) from an image that is focused on the two-dimensional surface of the retina. This process occurs unconsciously, and we experience only the result: a coherent perception of the world. Depth cues are forms of information available in the environment that allow the brain to infer the distance or relative distance of objects.
What is interposition as a depth cue?
Interposition is one depth cue. We assume an object that cuts in front of another object is closer to us. In the figure to the right, the triangle looks closer than the circle, while the circle looks closer than the rectangle.

Interposition as a depth cue
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Copyright © 2007 Russ Dewey