When flow is not enough: evidence from a lane changing task

Abstract

Humans are able to estimate their heading on the basis of optic flow information and it has been argued that we use flow in this way to guide navigation. Consistent with this idea, several studies have reported good navigation performance in flow fields. However, one criticism of these studies is that they have generally focused on the task of walking or steering towards a target, offering an additional, salient directional cue. Hence, it remains a matter of debate as to whether humans are truly able to control steering in the presence of optic flow alone. In this study, we report a set of maneuvers carried out in flow fields in the absence of a physical target. To do this, we studied the everyday task of lane changing, a commonplace multiphase steering maneuver which can be conceptualized without the need for a target. What is more (and here is the crucial quirk), previous literature has found that in the absence of visual feedback, drivers show a systematic, asymmetric steering response, resulting in a systematic final heading error. If optic flow is sufficient for controlling navigation through our environment, we would expect this asymmetry to disappear whenever optic flow is provided. However, our results show that this asymmetry persisted, even in the presence of a flow field, implying that drivers are unable to use flow to guide normal steering responses in this task.

The Efficacy and Feasibility of a High Intensity Interval Training Program to Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Truck Drivers

“…24 Indeed, the dose of HIIT we used in Fit 2 Drive has been linked to improvements in attention and reaction time, 14 which are vital cognitive functions that optimize vehicle tracking, lane keeping, driving performance, and therefore road safety. 25 The study findings also demonstrate feasibility aspects of Fit 2 Drive. The RPE data indicated that drivers were able to achieve vigorous intensity targets during HIIT depot sessions through a combination of stationary bike and circuit-based exercise modalities.…”

“…Good levels of CRF also facilitate driver resilience to the endemic industry problems of sleep deprivation and fatigue, which in turn decrease the likelihood of road traffic accidents 24 . Indeed, the dose of HIIT we used in Fit 2 Drive has been linked to improvements in attention and reaction time, 14 which are vital cognitive functions that optimize vehicle tracking, lane keeping, driving performance, and therefore road safety 25 …”

People learn a two-stage control for faster locomotor interception

“…Based on the texture, optic flow was available to participants even from the near ground. However, it has been suggested that optic flow alone is not sufficient to maintain a stable allocentric reference frame (Xu & Wallis, 2018 ). Concerning this possible reason, the question arises how the visual information about the allocentric reference frames could be strong enough for people to learn and use the CB strategy in the current task.…”

In the Loop

“…This result indicates that visual feedback is needed in street following and that internal monitoring, if at all present, is not sufficient. The effect persists even if clear egomotion cues are provided without showing the streets margins, for example, by adding the optic flow of a cloud of random dots (Xu and Wallis 2020).…”