Experimental Determination of Luneburg's Constants σ and κ

Abstract

Visual space is, according to Luneburg, a non-Euclidean hyperbolic space of constant negative curvature. Two personal constants enter into the geometrical description of binocular subjective space. One is σ indicating the degree of depth perception characteristic to the observer. The second is K, the curvature; a value which denotes by how much the visual space of an individual departs from Euclidean space. The constants σ and K were determined experimentally for 30 untrained observers by Luneburg's 3- and 4-point tests. All values found for K were negative and support the hypothesis that the geometry of binocular space is hyperbolic. Some discrepancies between the theory and findings were observed, while the sensitivity of the experiments to the lack of training and even a slight measure of aniseikonia is evident.