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Behavioral Effects of Varying Eye, Head, and Hand Temporal Coordination Sequences in a Natural Task
UR > CS > Research > Vision > Projects > Behavioral Effects of Varying Eye, Head, and Hand Temporal Coordination Sequences in a Natural Task
Behavioral Effects of Varying Eye, Head, and Hand Temporal Coordination Sequences in a Natural Task icon
This experiment seeks to examine the role of planning or "look ahead" fixations in natural tasks and how the scene information transferred across saccades may influence eye, hand, and head coordination.

Neil Mennie (Principal Investigator) Mary Hayhoe (Co-Principal Investigator) Brian Sullivan (Research Assistant) Carol Walthew (Data Analysis)
Behavioral Effects of Varying Eye, Head, and Hand Temporal Coordination Sequences in a Natural Task figure
Neil Mennie
Example of the experimental setup the subject's eye movements are tracked via a head mounted eye tracker. Hand movements are tracked via electro- magnetic sensors attached to the back of the hands. A similar sensor also tracks head motion. Subjects assemble sequences of wooden peices into models several times during an experimental trial. With the data collected subjects eye fixations and body movements can be segmented and analyzed for the temporal associations related between actions.

The larger problem is to investigate certain aspects of human visual perception. Through investigating the eye movements that humans deploy in the course of a natural task, this project seeks to shed some light on the role of certain fixations that fall upon task specific objects prior to their use. These fixations may be indicative of planning a motor action, and if evidence to support this hypothesis is found then it suggests that information necessary for action can be transferred across intervening fixations. Provisional results show that by manipulating the goals of a natural task - building a wooden model, the number of these "look-ahead fixations" can be manipulated. This has huge implications for research into the role of memory in tasks that involve everyday action. This is important for several reasons. Firstly, it suggests that information necessary for a reach can be acquired several seconds ahead of the current task, and that it is not in eye centered co-ordinates. This conflicts with much of the published data. Secondly, it suggests a much greater role for planning in active tasks than was previously thought, and it also shows that information specific for successful action can be transferred across saccades. It is too early to give any examples of direct results, and data analysis is currently continuing.

eye hand coordination, eye movements, eye movements in natural tasks, eye tracking, hand movements, head movements, look ahead fixations, visual scene memory, saccadic transfer

Pelz_Coordination_of_Eye_Hand_and_Hand_Movements_in_a_Natural_Task_2001

Active (April 14, 2003)