Path integration from optic flow and body senses in a homing task.

Full Abstract

We examined the roles of information from optic flow and body senses (eg vestibular and proprioceptive information) for path integration, using a triangle completion task in a virtual environment. In two experiments, the contribution of optic flow was isolated by using a joystick control. Five circular arenas were used for testing:
(B) both floor and wall texture; (F) floor texture only, reducing information for rotation; (W) wall texture only, reducing information for translation; (N) a no texture control condition, and (P) an array of posts. The results indicate that humans can use optic flow for path integration and are differentially influenced by rotational and translational flow. In a third experiment, participants actively walked in arenas B, F, and N, so body senses were also available. Performance shifted from a pattern of underturning to overturning and exhibited decreased variability, similar responses with and without optic flow, and no attrition. The results indicate that path integration can be performed by integrating optic flow, but when information from body senses is available it appears to dominate.

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Author information

Author/s: Kearns, Melissa J (MJ); Warren, William H (WH); Duchon, Andrew P (AP); Tarr, Michael J (MJ);

Affiliation: Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences Department, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA. Melissa_Kearns(-atsign-)brown.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Perception (Perception), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-; vol 31 (issue 3) : pp 349-74

Dates: Created 2002/04/16; Completed 2002/04/25; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 11954696, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Computer Graphics
Female
Homing Behavior - physiology
Humans

Humans
Male
Psychophysics
Sensation - physiology
Space Perception - physiology
User-Computer Interface
Vision, Ocular - physiology

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