Abstract: This invention involves measurement of the visual contrast sensitivity (modulation transfer) function of a human subject by means of a linear or circular spatial frequency pattern on a cathode ray tube whose contrast is automatically decreasing or increasing depending on the subject pressing or releasing a hand-switch button. The threshold of detection of the pattern modulation is found by the subject by adjusting the contrast to values which vary about the subject's threshold thereby determining the threshold and also providing by the magnitude of the contrast fluctuations between reversals some estimate of the variability of the subject's absolute threshold.

Abstract: Two, adjacent, but circumferentially displaced, photodetectors radially positioned exterior to a rotating body sense the changes in the intensity of light impinging on the detectors emanating from a defined source on the periphery of the rotating body. The sequentially changing outputs of the photodetectors are compared in a comparator circuit which provides a triangular wave shape output signal having either a sharp leading edge or a sharp trailing edge depending upon the sequence of activation of the photodetectors by the rotating light signal. The triangular wave is differentiated providing either positive going spike pulses or negative going spike pulses depending on whether the rotating body was moving clockwise or counterclockwise. The output of the differentiator is displayed on an oscilloscope to visually indicate by the presence of either positive or negative going spike pulses the direction of rotation of the rotating body.