Humans and animals have distinct differences, with one of the most fascinating disparities lying in how they perceive the world around them. Variations in visual acuity across species have led to valuable insights into these discrepancies.
A team of ecologists and filmmakers recently published their findings in PLOS Biology, utilizing a new camera system to produce a series of videos that accurately showcase the colors perceived by different animals in their natural habitats. Each species has its own unique photoreceptors in the eyes, allowing them to perceive the world in distinctive ways.
The ability to recreate the colors actually seen by animals provides valuable insights into their communication, navigation, and survival strategies. Traditional methods like spectrophotometry are time-consuming and often limited to still images with specific lighting conditions, but the new camera system offers a more efficient approach.
The researchers developed a camera that can record in four color channels – blue, green, red, and UV – and process the data into “perceptual units.” This enables the creation of accurate videos depicting how animals perceive colors based on their eye photoreceptors.
The team’s innovative system outperformed existing technology, achieving more than 92% accuracy in perceiving color. Additionally, the hardware and software tools they developed are available as open source, allowing other researchers and photographers to utilize this technology.
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
