A human visual system model (HVS model) is used by image processing, video processing and computer vision experts to deal with biological and psychological processes that are not yet fully understood. Such a model is used to simplify the behaviors of what is a very complex system. As our knowledge of the true visual system improves, the model is updated.
Psychovisual study is the study of the psychology of vision.
The human visual system model can produce desired effects in perception and vision. Examples of using an HVS model include color television, lossy compression, and Cathode-ray tube (CRT) television.
Originally, it was thought that color television required too high a bandwidth for the then available technology. Then it was noticed that the color resolution of the HVS was much lower than the brightness resolution; this allowed color to be squeezed into the signal by chroma subsampling.
Another example is lossy image compression, like JPEG. Our HVS model says we cannot see high frequency detail, so in JPEG we can quantize these components without a perceptible loss of quality. Similar concepts are applied in audio compression, where sound frequencies inaudible to humans are band-stop filtered.
Several HVS features are derived from evolution when we needed to defend ourselves or hunt for food. We often see demonstrations of HVS features when we are looking at optical illusions.