title: Steering toward a goal by equalizing taus.
abstract: Steering toward a target can be controlled by equalizing the time-to-closure of the angle between the target and the direction of locomotion and the time-to-passage of the observer by the target. Two experiments required observers to steer through a computer-simulated environment toward a target depicted as either a floating cross that did not optically expand, a floating sphere that optically expanded or a grounded post that optically expanded. Experiment 1 revealed better performance in the post and sphere conditions, suggesting that steering is influenced by local optical expansion but not by perceived spatial target location or distance. Experiment 2 revealed differences in steering behavior between target types that suggested observers attempted to equalize time-to-closure and time-to-passage.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, University of Connecticut, USA. fajenb@rpi.edu
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Fajen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011930:Reaction Time; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*