Visual flow influences gait transition speed and preferred walking speed.
It is typically assumed that basic features of human gait are determined by purely biomechanical factors. In two experiments, we test whether gait transition speed and preferred walking speed are also influenced by visual information about the speed of self-motion. The visual flow during treadmill locomotion was manipulated to be slower than, matched to, or faster than the physical gait speed (visual gains of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0). Higher flow rates elicit significantly lower transition speeds for both the Walk-Run and Run-Walk transition, as expected. Similarly, higher flow rates elicit significantly lower preferred walking speeds. These results suggest that visual information becomes calibrated to mechanical or energetic aspects of gait and contributes to the control of locomotor behavior.
Mohler
Betty J
BJ
School of Computing, University of Utah, 50 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 3190 MEB, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. bmohler@cs.utah.edu
Thompson
William B
WB
Creem-Regehr
Sarah H
SH
Pick
Herbert L
HL
Warren
William H
WH
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*