viewing systems
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In 2008 Human Factory scientists discovered that our forward-facing eyes evolved so as to allow us to see better in cluttered forests (see also especially Chapter 2 of VISION rEVOLUTION). Animals living outside of forests can see the most of their environment by having sideways facing eyes (and resultant panoramic vision). For animals in forests, however, when small they too see best with sideways facing eyes, but the larger animals (whose distance between the eyes is larger than most of the leaves and other occluding material) can see more of a forested environment by having their eyes face forward.
Rather than being about predators and prey, or about the sort of behavior the animal engages in, the research shows that it's entirely about which kind of eye structure allows the animal to see the most in the environment it tends to be in.
By understanding these principles, we can take any environment, and derive the optimal visual system for that environment.
Imagine, for example, military personnel or autonomous vehicles who can modulate their viewing system depending on whether they are in the forest, the fields, the city, or even crowds of people.
Rather than being about predators and prey, or about the sort of behavior the animal engages in, the research shows that it's entirely about which kind of eye structure allows the animal to see the most in the environment it tends to be in.
By understanding these principles, we can take any environment, and derive the optimal visual system for that environment.
Imagine, for example, military personnel or autonomous vehicles who can modulate their viewing system depending on whether they are in the forest, the fields, the city, or even crowds of people.