title: The precision of locomotor odometry in humans.
abstract: Two experiments measured the human ability to reproduce locomotor distances of 4.6-100 m without visual feedback and compared distance production with time production. Subjects were not permitted to count steps. It was found that the precision of human odometry follows Weber's law that variability is proportional to distance. The coefficients of variation for distance production were much lower than those measured for time production for similar durations. Gait parameters recorded during the task (average step length and step frequency) were found to be even less variable suggesting that step integration could be the basis for non-visual human odometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA. fdurgin1@swarthmore.edu
authors.forename: Frank H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Durgin
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akagi
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gallistel
authors.forename: Woody
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Haiken
mesh_terms: D004215:Distance Perception; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D013998:Time Perception; D016138:Walking