Handling increased movement variance in complex tasks: Experimental studies in virtual reality
From grasping your cup of coffee to cycling through busy traffic, everyday actions require precise and well-coordinated movements. Yet human movement is inherently variable. Because of neuromotor noise, we can never reproduce a movement exactly the same way twice (Faisal et al., 2008). Under certain conditions — such as fatigue or motor disorders — this movement variance increases substantially.
In our research, we investigate the functional mechanisms and strategies that allow humans to handle movement variance. To experimentally test these mechanisms, we developed a virtual reality (VR) throwing task. This experimental setup enables us to assess participants’ strategies while systematically manipulating movement variance. In practical terms, we can simulate conditions of increased motor variance (i.e., making participants‘ throws less precise) and systematically observe how they adapt their movement strategies.
Funding from the Berne University Research Foundation enabled us to purchase a new head-mounted display, controllers, and base stations for motion tracking, which are in use for our current series of VR experiments (see pictures).
Dr. Stephan Zahno
Institute of Sport Science
Movement Science Department
