Akiyoshi's illusion pages

Akiyoshi's illusion pages

Akiyoshi KITAOKA, Professor, Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, Osaka, Japan
studying visual perception, visual illusion, optical illusion, trompe l'oeil, 3D, etc. ORCID

Since May 18, 2002; Updated November 26, 2024 Japanese, Serb, Portuguese, Chinese; Illusion calendar 2024

This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 21H04426 awarded to Akiyoshi Kitaoka.

Warning: Commercial abuse of my illusion images is prohibited. This page contains some works of "anomalous motion illusion", which might make sensitive observers dizzy or sick. Should you feel dizzy, you had better leave this page immediately. More

Latest works (November 11, 2024) --- Newest page (November 26, 2024) --- Updated page (August 16, 2022) --- Illusion catalogue (June 3, 2014)
Page list of this site --- Books (September 23, 2019) --- Papers (February 11, 2021) --- JavaScript programs (October 13, 2024)

The Journal of Illusion welcomes your submissions.

"Rotating snakes"

Circular snakes appear to rotate 'spontaneously'.

Explanation of the elemental illusion (optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion) (PDF)

How this work was created (PDF) (Trick Eyes Graphics p.78)

Gray-scale version (jpg)

The commercial use of this image is not free of charge. Modification of this image for commercial purpose is usually declined. Educational or research use or modification is welcome.

"Rotating rays"

The outer ring of rays appears to rotate clockwise while the inner one counterclockwise.

"The autumn color swamp"

The inset appears to move.

"A bulge"

The floor appears to bulge out, though this image consists of only squares.

"Primrose's field"

This checkered background consists of squares but appears to wave. In addition, this figure also shows a waving motion illusion.

"Uzumaki ampan"

Concentric gray circles appear to be spirals.

"Rollers"

Rollers appear to rotate without effort. On the other hand, they appear to rotate in the opposite direction when observers see this image keeping blinking.

All my illusion pages

The latest works 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

<motion illusion>
Anomalous motion illusion 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Rotating illusion 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Expansion and contraction 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 --- Black holes
Rotating snakes 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 --- Rotating snakes: test and control images
Movie illusion 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Barber-pole illusion --- Revesible apparent movement (jpn) --- Rotating Mona lisas
Reversed phi
Waves 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Explanation of waving illusion
Heat shimmer illusion 3 2 1
Autumn color swamps 2 1
Cherry blossom 3 2 1
Motion aftereffects 2 1
Koma (tops) 2 1
Expanding cushions
"Optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion Type V" ("red optimized Fraser-Wilcox illusion")
Fraser-Wilcox illusion
Fluttering heart illusion
Blurry heart illusion
Motion contrast and motion assimilation (motion capture)
Second-order footsteps illusion demos
Footsteps illusion 2021 Journal of Illusion
Drifting spines illusion

<color or lightness illusion>
Color illusion 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Lightness illusion 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Illusory staircase Gelb effect etc
Op art 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Color constancy 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Vein illusion (in Japanese) --- Explanation of the vein illusion (in English)
ECVP2021: "A Javascript program to create images of color illusion by histogram compression in RGB"
Two-color method
Afterimage works 2 1
Color illusion: Special
Color change illusion
Subjective color
Umbrella (Munker illusion)
Fluorescent color 3 2 1
Benham tops 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

<color space>
Color samples --- Isoluminance images --- Isochroma images --- Isohue images --- Color sets --- Color space list
HCV color space --- Its exterior view (cHCV): details --- Its exterior view (hHCV): details
CIE Yxy color space --- Its exterior view: details
L*a*b* color space --- Its exterior view: details
DKL color space --- Its exterior view: details
HSV color space
u' v' color space
L*u*v* color space
MacLeod-Boynton color space
LMS color space
XYZ color space
RGB color space
Yrg color space
Color solids 2 1
Dichromacy
sRGB Ostwald color system
Color space of color mixture (1) (2) (3) (4) --- Color space of color change (1) --- Color space of different types (1)

<shape illusion>
Classic geometrical illusion 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Bulging geometrical illusion 6 5 4 3 2 1
Spiral illusion 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 --- Explanation of spirals --- Spirals 2 --- Spirals 3 --- Tunnels
Face illusion 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 --- Illusions of eye direction --- A review of the face illusion (Talk in 2012)
Cyanophyceae --- Turtles --- Café Wall illusion --- Zöllner illusion

<visual completion>
Visual completion 2 1
Extinction illusion 5 4 3 2 1
Visual phantoms (ECVP2005)
Pincushion grid illusion of neon color spreading

<trompe l'oeil>
Ambiguous (Reversible) figures 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Impossible figures 2 1
Upside-down faces
Hidden images 2 1
Stationary slit vision
Anamorphosis
Trompe l'oeil
Illusion pop art 5 4 3 2 1
Reversible images (not mine)
Illusion Museum --- Trick Art Museums
Reverspectives

<spatial illusion>
Slope illusion 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Stereograms 6 5 4 3 2 1
Perceptual transparency 2 1 --- Transparent mountains
Sanrakutei (a triangular prism-shaped house)
Chromostereopsis 4 3 2 1
Luminostereopsis
Leaning-Tower illusion works 2 1
Crater illusion 2 1 --- Footprint illusion
Depth maps
Rotorelief 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

<miscellaneous>
Miscellaneous 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Illusions observed outdoors 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Kyoto illusion design 3 2 1
Applied illusionolgy 2 1
Illusion therapy 2 1
Wallpapers 3 2 1
No-illusion works 4 3 2 1
Glasses-dependent illusion 2 1
Coloring images
Okazaemon works
Collaboration with Kyo-yuzen
Illusion calendar 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Uchiwa (handy fan) (in Japanese)
Let's make an illusion image 5 4 3 2 1
One-phrase comments
Sample images

<physical illusion>
Physical illusion 2 1
Sun-in-clouds illusion

Akiyoshi's books --- Illusion catalogue --- Akiyoshi's nengajo --- Akachochin --- Koinobori --- Cherries ---A page of background motion --- Ritsumeikan's illusion --- U-zu-maki (Rabbits' spirals) --- 2003: An illusory space odyssey --- Kochi illusion design --- Toys of illusion --- Illusion personality tests --- Illusion quizzes --- Window of illusion --- Classification of anomalous motion illusion --- Comprehensive classification of illusions --- Exhibition of illusion designs 2004 --- Works of sinusoidally modulated radials --- Explorer --- TEG --- TEE --- ECVP waves --- Expanding flower --- Shadow-shade stereopsis --- Star arts--- Girl of blue eyes 3 2 1 --- Popple illusion --- "The four seasons in Japan"--- Illusion design "Lipsticks"--- L'ORÉAL Art and Science of Color Prize, Gold Prize 2006--- Tie designs--- Gestalt psychological works --- Newton Press book --- Illusion erasers --- TEM --- Illusory signs --- Illusion mugs --- Professor McCourt in Ritsumeikan --- Overview of brightness illusions --- Illusion of figure --- AIC2009 talk --- Drag "Fluttering hearts" --- IllusoriaMente Show Time 2012 in Alghero --- 4-stroke tilt illusion and motion--- ICP2016 Informal Illusion Designs --- Cats see Rotating snakes movies --- Fukushima as the Fruit Kingdom --- Illusion jigsaw puzzles --- APCV2014 Best Presentation Prize --- Professor Shapiro's talk in Ritsumeikan 2019

Memos of references of visual illusions

Submission from friends

Illusion designs from friends 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Illusion news

Illusion news 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Illusion contest

Illusion Contest in Japan (February 20, 2014)

Photos

Today's Kyoto 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Kyoto --- Japan --- World --- Ritsumeikan University --- Photos (Nov 1, 2014)

Illusions I encountered in England --- I visited Sarasota in May, 2005 --- I visited Serbia in 2014 --- I visited England in 2015

ICP2016 Informal Photos

Nagoya City Science Museum's illusion exhibition in 2015

Visiome, ICP 2016, ICP 2016 facebook, ICP 2016 illusion works

Links to outside websites (February 20, 2018)

Recommended books

Trick eyes

My pages

"Trick Eyes Graphics NEO" (written in English and Japanese) has been published!

(The right book is an academic one entitled "Introduction to visual illusions")

For details, click here.

DISCLAIMER

Most of the material contained within these pages was created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka and is not copyright-free. If you wish to use any of the material for research purposes, personal purposes, or educational purposes, you may do so only if you include a citation. To cite my work, use my name, my site address, the title of my book, or the titles of my papers. For commercial or professional use, please contact the publisher "Kanzen"* who manages my published material. If you are a journalist and wish to use my material, only I can grant you permission to use my work.

*For the response from Kanzen, please wait about one week because it takes time to translate languages in the company.

For commercial customers, we can send image files in Adobe Illustrator format (ver. 8 or higher) or in bitmap (jpeg) format of any size. We also have files available in PDF, CorelDRAW, MS-Word, and related formats. <November 18, 2004>

I have received a number of requests asking for permission to upload some of my illusion designs to webpages and I have granted such permission on an individual basis. Hereafter, I grant permission to upload to your webpage up to three (3) images if your webpage is to discuss the science of illusion or vision, is not a commercial site, and does not contain indecent, obscene, or illegal content. Religious or political sites would be declined. The sites that I cannot reach would be declined, either. My name and the address of my webpage (a link is OK) should be cited. Moreover, a cautionary message or warning like "These images might make observers feel sick" is necessary if they are anomalous motion illusions. Please withdraw my works from the sites if they do not satisfy the conditions shown above. <September 24, 2003; updated June 23, 2005>

The "Download" page was closed because of too much illegal use of my material. Please do not use them for commercial purpose without permission. For educational or research use of my high quality material, please send your request to me. I am sorry that original vector files or large bitmap files will not be provided for personal use. <May 28, 2004>

~~If you send me an e-mail, please do not attach any files because I might erroneously delete the e-mail thinking that a virus is hidden in the file. <August 30, 2004; updated May 8, 2011>~~ (deleted March 23, 2024)

If you sent me an e-mail but have not heard from me within a week, I might possibly remove it in error. Then, please send it to me again with a clear title, e.g. "about illusion".<June 11, 2006>

It is my pleasure to grant permission for the use of my illusion material for papers, articles, or books if they are for educational or research purposes. In this case, I would like the authors to request permission. Requests from publishers or other agencies are not welcome. Requests for written permission are not welcome either, because it takes time to check, sign, and send it back, though I will do so if it is absolutely necessary. Of course, I give written permission if it is a commercial gift. <September 16, 2004>

Links to my website are welcome. Please link to this top page so that we can avoid overworking the Ritsumeikan University servers. <October 4, 2004>

Do not worry or become upset if you cannot see the illusions. I must confess that even I do not see some illusions. For instance, the Ponzo illusion, if the image is the upper-converging version, is difficult to see. <October 16, 2004>

Thanks to David <November 29, 2004>

Announcement: A website "Test online the level of stress a person can handle using stress pictures: are they animated, moving?" abuses three of my illusion works as well as claims an unscientific idea. To my knowledge, stress has nothing to do with visual illusion. <April 25, 2011>

RIKEN Library for vision science

Illusion catalogue

Akiyoshi's biography (April 13, 2020)

email to: akitaoka@lt.ritsumei.ac.jp

Access since June 3rd, 2002

Acknowledgments (July 14, 2008)