Knowledge of how visual information determines perceived depth and shape has grown considerably in the past few decades. We know less, however, about how this knowledge relates to performance in everyday tasks. It is widely appreciated that perceived depth is important for determining large scale spatial layout for a variety of actions, and that shape perception is important for object recognition. However, the visual information for depth and shape also provides critical image measurements for programming reach and grasp by the hand. Despite the importance of vision for prehension, we know surprisingly little about how multiple sources of visual information are used for hand movements. A central issue is the degree to which perceptual judgements of shape and depth predict measures of reaching and grasping. A common working hypothesis is that motor planning makes use of the full perceptual """"""""reconstruction"""""""" of the scene to program its movements. The investigator will critically examine this assumption in a series of experiments. In particular, he plans to 1) compare visual processing for reaching with that for conscious perceptual judgements of depth under cue conflict situations; 2) understand how multiple cues for depth, size, and orientation combine to determine reach and grasp; 3) examine the role of dependence on learned views of an object for grasping. These studies will make use of recently acquired laboratory instrumentation which allows computer-controlled presentation of both real and synthetic visual stimuli together with real-time monitoring of movements.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY011507-04
Application #
2888522
Study Section
Visual Sciences B Study Section (VISB)
Project Start
1996-07-01
Project End
2001-06-30
Budget Start
1999-07-01
Budget End
2001-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
168559177
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
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Kersten, Daniel; Mamassian, Pascal; Yuille, Alan (2004) Object perception as Bayesian inference. Annu Rev Psychol 55:271-304
Knill, David C; Kersten, Daniel (2004) Visuomotor sensitivity to visual information about surface orientation. J Neurophysiol 91:1350-66
Kersten, Daniel; Yuille, Alan (2003) Bayesian models of object perception. Curr Opin Neurobiol 13:150-8
Madison, C; Thompson, W; Kersten, D et al. (2001) Use of interreflection and shadow for surface contact. Percept Psychophys 63:187-94
Kersten, D (1997) Perceptual categories for spatial layout. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 352:1155-63