Multisensory self-motion estimation, old ideas and new data
Multiple Paper Presentation

Stuart Smith
School of Psychology, University College Dublin

     Abstract ID Number: 222
     Last modified: June 12, 2006
     Presentation date: 06/19/2006 5:30 PM in Hamilton Building, McNeil Theatre
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
Moving through one’s environment is a naturally multisensory task
involving a coordinated set of sensorimotor processes that encode and
compare information from visual, vestibular, proprioceptive,
motor-corollary, and cognitive inputs. Interaction between visual and
vestibular information in the perception of self-motion has been
reported in the literature for over 50 years [e.g. Battersby et at,
1956]. The importance of visual inputs for estimation of self-motion
direction (heading) was first recognised by Gibson (1950) who postulated
that heading could be recovered by locating the focus of expansion (FOE)
of the radially expanding optic flow field coincident with forward
translation. We have recently shown [Stone, Smith and Bush, 2004] that
humans with intact vestibular function can estimate their direction of
linear translation using vestibular cues alone with as much certainty as
they do using visual cues. Here we report the results of an ongoing
study of self-motion estimation that investigates whether visual and
vestibular information can be combined in a statistically optimal
fashion. We discuss our results from the perspective that successful
execution of self-motion behaviour requires the computation of one’s own
spatial orientation relative to the environment. Nearly 20 years ago
Larry Young and colleagues [Borah, Young & Curry, 1988] showed that an
internal model based on the Kalman filter could provide a qualitative
account of multisensory contributions to human spatial orientation.

To be Presented at the Following Symposium:
Vestibular contribution to multisensory perception and movement control.
Other papers in this Symposium:

• Alain Berthoz
  College de France, Paris
  The role of the vestibular system in multisensory integration during navigation
• Fabrizio Doricchi
  Universita’ degli Studi “La Sapienza” and Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome Italy
  Crossmodal integration of vestibular cues, attentional orienting and space representation
• Peter Thier
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  Uwe Ilg
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  Peter W. Dicke
  Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tuebingen
  The integration of vestibular signals in parietal cortex contributing to observer-independent representations of the world