Perception laboratories are research facilities that study cognition and perception in humans or machines. They can be attached to universities or private companies and have multiple projects running at the same time. Researchers in human perception study how humans acquire and interpret information, while those in machine perception work on tasks such as coding to enable robots to navigate and recognize sound input. Machine perception has commercial applications for tasks such as quality control and facial recognition. Vision is a field of particular interest with machine perception, with researchers working on using computer recognition to substitute people for repetitive tasks and developing more advanced robotics and simulations of human perception.
A perception laboratory is a research facility where scientists explore cognition and perception in humans or machines. Such institutions are usually attached to colleges and universities, although they may be independent or associated with private companies. Some computer companies, for example, work on machine cognition and perception as part of their product development process. Researchers in this field commonly have advanced degrees in subjects such as psychology, neurology, or computer science.
In the case of a human perception laboratory, the facility provides resources for studying how humans acquire and interpret information about the world around them. Some facilities focus on a specific aspect of perception such as vision or hearing. Others may study entire cognitive systems, with ongoing research into a range of types of perception. The facility can provide computing power and space to conduct experiments, along with supporting equipment.
Labs can have multiple projects running at the same time with different sponsors. Research teams can include people from many disciplines interested in human perception. Traffic engineers, for example, might work with neurologists to find out how people interact with road signs. This information can help them design more effective road signs, reduce the risk of accidents and ensure that information is clearly conveyed to motorists. Perception research can inform a variety of communications, from textbook layouts to three-dimensional film design.
Computing cognition research takes these studies in a different direction. In a perception lab interested in machine perception, researchers work on tasks such as coding to enable robots to navigate mazes and recognize sound input. This research can support a variety of products that interact with their environments and are capable of learning. Machine perception may have commercial applications for tasks such as quality control on assembly lines and facial recognition.
Vision is a field of particular interest with machine perception. Computers are capable of scanning large amounts of visual input very quickly with the right programming, which can have important perceptions for a perception laboratory. Researchers in a perception lab can work on topics like using computer recognition to substitute people for boring, repetitive tasks where error rates can increase due to lack of stimulation. Machine perception is also important for activities such as the development of more advanced robotics and simulations of human perception for research purposes. Simulators can show how and where human perception goes awry in studies where the use of human subjects is impractical.
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