Neural Network Model of the Visual System: Binding Form and Motion.

Abstract

We propose a neural network model of the visual system of the brain which processes different kinds of attributes such as form and motion in parallel. The model has two separate channels: a channel processing form and a channel processing motion. Each channel has both forward and backward connections, and exhibits selective attention. The selective attention mechanism, however, does not work independently because of the interaction of the two channels, which occurs at their lower layers. Both channels always focus attention on the same object even when many objects are presented simultaneously to the input layer of the model. The model was simulated on a computer: several objects made of moving random dots were applied to the input layer. At first the model focused attention on one of the objects, and detected its form and motion. It then processed the rest of the objects in turn by switching attention. Copyright 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.