Three-dimensional binocular eye–hand coordination in normal vision and with simulated visual impairment

Abstract

Sensorimotor coupling in healthy humans is demonstrated by the higher accuracy of visually tracking intrinsically-rather than extrinsically-generated hand movements in the fronto-parallel plane. It is unknown whether this coupling also facilitates vergence eye movements for tracking objects in depth, or can overcome symmetric or asymmetric binocular visual impairments. Human observers were therefore asked to track with their gaze a target moving horizontally or in depth. The movement of the target was either directly controlled by the observer's hand or followed hand movements executed by the observer in a previous trial. Visual impairments were simulated by blurring stimuli independently in each eye. Accuracy was higher for self-generated movements in all conditions, demonstrating that motor signals are employed by the oculomotor system to improve the accuracy of vergence as well as horizontal eye movements. Asymmetric monocular blur affected horizontal tracking less than symmetric binocular blur, but impaired tracking in depth as much as binocular blur. There was a critical blur level up to which pursuit and vergence eye movements maintained tracking accuracy independent of blur level. Hand-eye coordination may therefore help compensate for functional deficits associated with eye disease and may be employed to augment visual impairment rehabilitation.

Gaze behaviour on interacted objects during hand interaction in virtual reality for eye tracking calibration

“…However, moving objects could be used for pursuits based calibration during hand-interaction. Previous research has shown that users' oculomotor performance is enhanced for pursuits [Chen et al 2016] or vergence [Maiello et al 2018] when the hands control the target. As such, with the slider as an example, it could be possible to calibrate the eye tracker if the user performs a pursuit movement following the slider while dragging the slider.…”

People With Central Vision Loss Have Difficulty Watching Videos

“…Some of what is known about the relationship between CVL and its effects on task performance comes from studies that have simulated vision impairment. Commonly used simulations include optical defocus (refractive blur),12–17 diffusive filters,17–22 and image blur (though image processing) 15,16,20–24. These may resemble the “initial stages of sudden onset, acquired visual loss”18 due to cataract, keratoconus, corneal scarring, or uncorrected refractive error in that their primary effect is a uniform reduction in image resolution across the visual field.…”

“…These may resemble the “initial stages of sudden onset, acquired visual loss”18 due to cataract, keratoconus, corneal scarring, or uncorrected refractive error in that their primary effect is a uniform reduction in image resolution across the visual field. Such simulations have been used to study reading,13,14,19,25 pedestrian mobility,15–17 postural stability,22 gaze perception,16 eye–hand coordination,24 and driving 17. In addition, “visual impairment simulators,” which can be found at trade shows or in the laboratory,26,27 have been used to study way-finding,28 pharmacy education,27,29 and the impact on the empathy of medical residents 30…”

A dichoptic feedback-based oculomotor training method to manipulate interocular alignment

“…Refractive error is also linked to stronger vergence-accommodation conflicts 119 , which may have implications particularly for anisometropic strabismic patients who may have different refraction in the two eyes. In recent work however we have demonstrated a synergistic link between eye and hand movements in 3D, which persists even with simulated asymmetric visual impairment 103 . It might therefore be possible to exploit this link via eye-hand coordination tasks 120 to enhance the training effects we find here.…”