Visuo-manual tracking in a robot-generated dynamic environment

Abstract

This study investigates a dual task: 1) visuo-manual tracking of a target moving on an eight-shaped trajectory and 2) compensation of a robot-generated, motion-dependent force field. The target speed is dependent on the tracking error, in such a way that the task difficulty increases as tracking performance improves. The results show that although non trivial this dual-task protocol can be learned in a coordinated way, preserving features of intermittent control, also present when the dynamic component of the protocol is absent. The potential usefulness of this dual task in the rehabilitation of neurological patients is also discussed.