Vision Collision
(Insert picture of two people using the vision collision device)
Description:
This commercially available exhibit consists of a sheet of plexi-glass with 1/4 inch wide mylar strips attached to each side, forming a striped pattern. (The spacing between the mylar strips = the width of the mylar itself = 1/4 inch.)Two people face each other about a foot apart, holding the plexiglass between them at eye level. They line up their eyes with their partner's eyes by looking at each other through a clear strip. When their eyes are shifted to a mirrored strip above, it appears that their faces have been merged, or "morphed".
Purpose:
This apparatus demonstrates the Law of Reflection that states that a reflected image will always appear as far behind the reflecting surface as the object is in front of the reflecting surface.It also demonstrates the mind's difficulty in interpreting ambiguous input. You are always viewing countless pieces of information around you, and your eyes send these visual facts to your brain. Sometimes the information doesn't make sense with what your brain already knows about the world. When this occurs, you experience an optical illusion. When you and a friend look at each other through the Vision Collision, you observe an illusion of "morphing". By mixing alternate strips of your face with strips of your friend's face, the device produces a strange composite that your eye-brain system has trouble comprehending.
Connections:
This exhibit works on principles similar to the Connections Project exhibit Everyone is You and Me.
References:
This exhibit is commercially available through several gift catalogs under the name "Vision Collision".