Rotating Chains by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 12 January 2016 0 Comments

Rotating Chains by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

The blue and yellow circles made up of what look like bicycle chains appear to spontaneously rotate.  Try focusing your attention on only one of the six circles at a time and you should find that the one you are focusing on stops moving.  If you want to maximize the motion effect, move your eyes […]

Water Cushion by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 30 November 2015 0 Comments

Water Cushion by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

This purple circle created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka appears to wobble and pulsate as you look at it.  Try focusing on the gray dot int he center of the image and then moving your head around.  You will find that the circle appears to be very unstable against the black background. (via Akiyoshi Kitaoka)

Watermelon by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 19 October 2015 0 Comments

Watermelon by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

The green circle in the center of this image, which Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka calls a “watermelon”, appears to sway back and forth and be unstable against the gray background.  I personally find this image to be difficult to look at for too long.  This one actually makes my eyes hurt! Another good example of this […]

Swimming Rings by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 15 September 2015 0 Comments

Swimming Rings by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

When it comes to motion illusions, it is safe to say that no one does it better than Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan.  If you look at the two multi-colored rings below, which Professor Kitaoka calls “Swimming Rings”, you will notice that they both appear to rotate in a clockwise manner. […]

Concentric Circles by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Estimation 20 July 2015 0 Comments

Concentric Circles by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Have a look at today’s image that was created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan.  We’ve posted images similar to this one in the past, but I thought that it was a pretty good representation of an old optical illusion concept.  Each of the rings are circles, even though they certainly […]

Wavy Hair by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 30 April 2015 0 Comments

Wavy Hair by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

The circle in the center of this wavy yellow and purple pattern appears to move to the right while the background appears to moving to the left.  The motion effect on this one is incredibly strong for me.  I don’t know if it is the colors, or what, but it certainly seems like an animation […]

Rotating Pieces of Cheese by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

Motion 4 December 2014 0 Comments

Rotating Pieces of Cheese by Akiyoshi Kitaoka

The orange and purple ring appears to rotate clockwise on the green background in a twitching or jerky manner.  The effect is enhanced if you move your eyes rapidly around the image or look away from it briefly and then focus on it again. Compare this effect to another motion illusion created by Professor Kitaoka […]