Visual Perception of Self-Motion

Visual perception of self-motion is essential for navigation and environmental interaction. This review examines the mechanisms by which we perceive self-motion, highlighting recent progress and significant findings. It first evaluates optic flow and its critical role in the perception of self-motion, then considers nonflow visual cues that contribute to this process. Key aspects of self-motion perception are discussed, including the perception of instantaneous direction (i.e., heading) and future trajectory (i.e., path) of self-motion. It then addresses two closely linked topics: the perception of independent object motion during self-motion and the perception of heading with independent object motion. While these processes occur concurrently, research indicates that they involve separate processing mechanisms. In light of recent neurophysiological findings, potential neural mechanisms underlying these two processes are proposed. Finally, it discusses how studies often conflate unreal optic flow with real optic flow, raising questions for future research to better understand how the brain processes optic flow for the perception of self-motion.