Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly d ....Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly due to a re-shaping and narrowing of the target template. These are both ground-breaking discoveries that have not been described before. Work on this project promises to lead to important theoretical breakthroughs, resolve current discrepancies in the literature and advance methods of Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience.Read moreRead less
A statistical decision theory of cognitive capacity. This project aims to investigate the limited capacity of the human cognitive system to form representations of the things in the world around us and to make decisions about them in real time. Its goal is to provide an integrated theory of cognitive capacity based on the statistical properties of cognitive representations and the decision processes that act on them. Its expected outcome will be a unified metric for cognitive capacity that will ....A statistical decision theory of cognitive capacity. This project aims to investigate the limited capacity of the human cognitive system to form representations of the things in the world around us and to make decisions about them in real time. Its goal is to provide an integrated theory of cognitive capacity based on the statistical properties of cognitive representations and the decision processes that act on them. Its expected outcome will be a unified metric for cognitive capacity that will allow us to quantify how cognitive load affects the speed and accuracy of decision making. It will benefit the design and evaluation of high workload real-time decision systems and will contribute to the selection and training of users of such systems.
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Subcortical control of human reaching? This project will test a radical new hypothesis about how the human brain generates visually guided behaviour. Conventional thinking assumes that visuomotor control of limb movements occurs exclusively within the cerebral cortex. However, the project team’s recent observations of extremely rapid visually guided muscle activity strongly imply that the human brain controls reaching movements via more primitive midbrain and brainstem structures. The project’s ....Subcortical control of human reaching? This project will test a radical new hypothesis about how the human brain generates visually guided behaviour. Conventional thinking assumes that visuomotor control of limb movements occurs exclusively within the cerebral cortex. However, the project team’s recent observations of extremely rapid visually guided muscle activity strongly imply that the human brain controls reaching movements via more primitive midbrain and brainstem structures. The project’s hypotheses challenge long-standing ideas about the functional organisation of the human brain and may have wide-ranging implications for the design of human-machine interfaces as well as training protocols in rehabilitation, industry, and sport.Read moreRead less
The secret of tiny hand movements to feel and manipulate objects. This study aims to reveal some of the fundamental sensory mechanisms underlying the uniquely human ability to manipulate objects and use tools. Signals from touch receptors are crucial for controlling grip forces so that delicate objects are held without slipping, or being crushed by excessive force. Yet we know little about how such sensory information is obtained and how it is used for the motor control. By analysing hand moveme ....The secret of tiny hand movements to feel and manipulate objects. This study aims to reveal some of the fundamental sensory mechanisms underlying the uniquely human ability to manipulate objects and use tools. Signals from touch receptors are crucial for controlling grip forces so that delicate objects are held without slipping, or being crushed by excessive force. Yet we know little about how such sensory information is obtained and how it is used for the motor control. By analysing hand movements during object manipulation and recording sensory signals from single human nerve fibres we will investigate how certain types of movement shape richness of available sensory information. This knowledge will facilitate the development of next generation sensory-controlled prosthetics and robotic manipulators.Read moreRead less
A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocom ....A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocomputational properties of these proposed adaptation classes across a range of sensorimotor learning paradigms. The knowledge gained from this project may identify new strategies for adapting movements that are widely applicable to industry, defence, sport, and health.Read moreRead less
Human Scheduling of Perceptual Tasks. This project aims to develop a novel approach for synthesising how people prioritise information with theories of attention and decision making. Characterising inefficient scheduling in the tradeoff between the difficulty and the cost/benefit of different subtasks will allow the development of a formal computional model that generalises statistical models of rank order data to a theory of the timing of scheduling decisions and task completions. Outcomes incl ....Human Scheduling of Perceptual Tasks. This project aims to develop a novel approach for synthesising how people prioritise information with theories of attention and decision making. Characterising inefficient scheduling in the tradeoff between the difficulty and the cost/benefit of different subtasks will allow the development of a formal computional model that generalises statistical models of rank order data to a theory of the timing of scheduling decisions and task completions. Outcomes include benchmark data from a novel paradigm for studying perceptual decisions and behavior and a model which can explain and predict human scheduling. This project aims to benefit industry by allowing for the simulation of information prioritisation by human agents in complex environments.Read moreRead less
Enhancing sensory perception and balance control in HMD-based VR. This project seeks to test a revolutionary new theoretical framework for understanding how we perceive our self-motion and maintain postural control when immersed in head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR). Photorealistic graphical simulations and artificial vestibular stimulation will be used to investigate how visual and non-visual information concerning self-motion is integrated in the brain. The outcomes will reveal ho ....Enhancing sensory perception and balance control in HMD-based VR. This project seeks to test a revolutionary new theoretical framework for understanding how we perceive our self-motion and maintain postural control when immersed in head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR). Photorealistic graphical simulations and artificial vestibular stimulation will be used to investigate how visual and non-visual information concerning self-motion is integrated in the brain. The outcomes will reveal how multisensory interaction influences our sensory perception and postural control during HMD VR. The knowledge gained is expected to generate new economic benefits by inspiring next-generation technologies that will optimise users' immersive experiences (e.g., virtual exploration and immersive gaming).Read moreRead less