Psychology Seminar
Title: "Control of Movement"
Speaker: Dave Lee (Director, Perception-Movement-Action Research Consortium (PMARC), University of Edinburgh)
Abstract: Fundamental to evolution are the control processes that enable animals to make purposive, goal-directed movements, when interacting with others and the environment. A theory of these processes (General Tau Theory) will be presented. It is founded on five basic principles. (i) Purposive movement entails prospectively controlling the closure of gaps (e.g. distance-gaps when reaching and stepping, pitch-gaps when vocalizing, suction-gaps when suckling). (ii) Tau of a gap (the time-to-closure at the current closure-rate) is the only information required for controlling gaps. (iii) Tau can be sensed directly by all known perceptual systems, unlike other gap measures such as size and velocity of closure. (iv) Coordinating the closure of gaps is achieved by tau-coupling (keeping the taus of gaps in constant ratio). (v) Tau-coupling is used in the nervous system to control movement. The theory is supported by experiments across species from single-celled organisms to humans, and by dynamic brain recordings. Currently the theory is being applied to devising non-invasive means of helping people with movement disorders such as Ataxia, MS and Parkinson's.
Contact Details
Further Information
A wine reception follows this seminar.
To meet the speaker or attend the speaker's dinner please contact Dr Thomas Bak.