York Distinguished Research Professor Hiroshi Ono was one of 18 Killam Research Fellowship recipients whose fellowship was renewed for a second year in February by the Canada Council for the Arts. Ono, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, has been working on a study entitled "Visual Direction from Our Cyclopean Eye".
The aim of Ono’s research is to further our understanding of how humans perceive the direction of visual stimuli with respect to themselves and to other visual stimuli. "Although the history of studies in visual direction is a long one," says Ono, "the number of studies is small when compared with investigations into distance perception – seeing or judging the distance of an object from oneself – and depth perception – seeing or judging the distance between two objects.
"This work is important because before a comprehensive theory of space perception can be developed, our understanding of visual direction must approach our level of understanding of distance perception.
"To localize objects in 3-D space," adds Ono, "one requires a reference point from which to determine the direction of the objects, both with respect to the self and with respect to other objects in the visual world. The necessity of such a point has been widely accepted in the visual direction literature for sometime, and the point is often called the cyclopean eye."
Among Canada''s most distinguished research awards, the Canada Council for the Arts Killam Research Fellowships are made possible by a bequest of Dorothy J. Killam and a gift she made before her death in 1965. The awards support scholars engaged in research projects of outstanding merit in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, engineering and interdisciplinary studies.
Killam Research Fellowships enable Canada''s best scientists and scholars to devote two years to full-time research and writing. The recipients are chosen by the Killam Selection Committee, which comprises 16 eminent scientists and scholars representing a broad range of disciplines.
For more information about these awards and prizes, including nomination procedures, contact Carol Bream, director of endowments and prizes, at 613-566-4414 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 5041, or e-mail carol.bream@canadacouncil.ca; contact Janet Riedel, endowments and prizes officer, at 613-566-4414 or 1-800-263-5588, ext. 4116 or e-mail janet.riedel@canadacouncil.ca; or visit the Web site at www.canadacouncil.ca.