Seeing and Acting in a Virtual World PSY 341K

Seeing and Acting in a Virtual World PSY 341K

Class hours: Tues, Thurs 9.30-11 Room 4-242, SEAY

Instructor: Professor Mary Hayhoe SEAY Room 5-238 X5-9338 mary@mailcps.utexas.edu Office hours: Anytime by appointment

TA: Jordan Davison jordan.davison@gmail.com Office hours: Anytime by appointment or Thurs after class.

Web Site:http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/class/psy341K/hayhoe/

Organization

1. Four experiments, approximately 3 weeks each.

2. Background lectures, data collection, analysis, presentation; emphasis on class discussion.

3. Groups of 4/5.

4. Requirements: 4 papers, 2 exams (short answer), attendance/participation/presentations.

5. Readings/lectures etc on web site.

The great unsolved problem: How does the brain control behavior?

Phrenology

Localization of function

Homunculus

Even simple actions involve many parts of the brain.

action plan Size, direction

velocity

motivation

signals to muscles

coordinatefeedback

respirationheart rate

memory

Initiatesequence

targeting

Classical Methods

What are the physical limits of Vision?

How accurate are eye movements?What is the peak velocity?What brain regions control eye movements?

A Typical Experiment

Why do some objects “pop out”?

An Experiment on Searching for Objects

And why are they sometimes hard to find?

Questions we might like to ask:

Where do we look in a scene in everyday life?

What information do we need?

How do we locate the information we need?

How are the movements controlled?

What are advantages and disadvantages of both approaches?

Why virtual reality?

Technological advances: 1. measurement of complex eye, head, hand movements 2. high speed image processing allows complex virtual environments that can be controlled experimentally 3. head mounted displays, tactile feedback

Natural behavior unexplored.

Need to validate (or not) results from simpler paradigms.

The CPS Virtual Reality Lab – a unique opportunity

What you’ll learn

- Basic properties of perception, movements, and attention

- Understanding the research process: the question, design of experiments, data

analysis, making conclusions, communication.

- Original contributions/ discoveries. Thinking independently.

Difficult things about this course

- no good text- fragmentary- lack of background- data analysis

- presentations

Date Topic

Jan 17 Using our Eyes in Everyday Tasks: Lecture: The nervous system, vision, and motor control.

The eye and eye movements. Rosenbaum Ch 5, Land paper.

 Jan 22 Lab: tracking the eyes while catching balls.       Jan 24 Lab: tracking the eyes.            Jan 29 Lecture: Interpreting the data Jan 31 Discussion of Findings/ class presentations

Feb 5 Interdependence of Vision and Action: Lecture Paper 1 due (Rosenbaum, Ch 1, p 1-25) Feb 7 Vision and movement. (Rosenbaum Ch 2)                                                            Feb 12 Lab: Intercepting virtual targets Rosenbaum Ch 6                           Feb 14 Lab: ctd Feb 19 Understanding the data Feb 21 Discussion of Findings / class presentations                                                              Feb 26 Review Paper 2 due                               Feb 28 Mid-term                              

Virtual racquetball: Nvis helmet, Arrington eye-tracker, PhaseSpace head/hand/racquet tracking, ODE to control ball and racquet interactions

Gabe Diaz

Mar 5 Learning where to look: lecture Mar 7 Lecture                                                Mar 12, 14 Spring Break         Mar 19 Lab: Avoiding virtual pedestrians Mar 21 Lab: ctd                                Mar 26 Discussion of Outcome Mar 28 Class Presentations

Gaze allocation when walking in a real environment

Things to do: control direction, avoid obstacles, foot placement,characterize surroundings etc normal vision involves sets of sub-tasksor modules – need to allocate attention effectively between sub-tasks.

Portable ASL eyetrackerOval path around large room

pedestrians

How are gaze targets chosen?

Apr 2 Attention & Vision: Lecture Paper 3 due Apr 4 Lecture: attention and eye movements in natural environments      Apr 9 Lab: Walking in a Virtual Apartment                           Apr 11 Lab: Walking in a Virtual Apartment                       Apr 16 Understanding the data                                                    Apr 18 Class presentations                           Apr 23 Lecture: Uses of virtual environments               Apr 25 Review  Apr 30 Review May 2 Final Exam Paper 4 due                              

Grading: Papers 1-4: 15% each. Midterm and Final: 15% each; Attendance: 5%; Presentations and class discussion: 5%)

Papers: 7-10 pages (typewritten, double spaced) reporting the results of the lab experiments.Can re-write papers.

Exams - short answer questions. Midterm: first half of course.Final: second half of the courseExams cover : class material, labs, and readings.

The Undergraduate Writing Center - resource available to all undergrads.

-offers free one-on-one consulting on all writing assignments,(papers, lab reports, and personal statements).

- call (512-471-6222) to make an appointment or walk in to the office in the FAC.

-PSY 341K can make an appointment with Jordan Davison (Tu 3-7, W 9:30-3) to discuss their lab reports.