Dr. Ferguson is interested in understanding the nature of visual thinking. His research investigates the role of spatial relations in symmetry detection and in other visual reasoning tasks. This research has both cognitive and applied aspects. In his cognitive research, He has designed, implemented, and explored the psychological implications of a new computer-based model of symmetry detection, called MAGI. In his more applied research, he has used both MAGI and a spatial reasoning engine called GeoRep to build more flexible and effective computer reasoners for diagrams and sketches.
