Robust perception of self-motion requires integration of visual motion signals with nonvisual cues. Neurons in the dorsal subdivision of the medial superior temporal area (MSTd) may be involved in this sensory integration, because they respond selectively to global patterns of optic flow, as well as translational motion in darkness. Using a virtual-reality system, we have characterized the thre...

BACKGROUND Stroke patients manifest steering difficulties during walking, which may arise from an altered perception of visual motion. OBJECTIVE To examine the ability of stroke patients to control their heading direction while walking in a virtual environment (VE) describing translational optic flows (OFs) expanding from different directions. METHODS The authors evaluated 10 stroke patient...

Self-movement creates the patterned visual motion of optic flow with a focus of expansion (FOE) that indicates heading direction. During pursuit eye movements, depth cues create a retinal flow field that contains multiple FOEs, potentially complicating heading perception. Paradoxically, human heading perception during pursuit is improved by depth cues. We have studied medial superior temporal (...

A bias in heading estimation is observed if an extraneous object moves so as to obscure the focus of expansion of an optic flow field generated by linear translation. This bias, however, has only been shown for simple, non-articulated objects with no social or behavioural relevance. Contrastingly, objects in the real world are often much more complex and can be comprised of multiple, differentl...

During a study on the genetic control of winterhardiness in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. group aestivum), a gene that affected vernalization was found on chromosome 3B in the winter wheat cultivar ;Wichita.' When chromosome 3B from Wichita was substituted into the winter wheat cultivar ;Cheyenne,' the resultant substitution line exhibited a spring growth habit. This is unusual since a cro...

Photoperiod and temperature are two important environmental factors that influence the heading-date of rice. Although the influence of the photoperiod on heading has been extensively reported in rice, the molecular mechanism for the temperature control of heading remains unknown. This study reports an early heading mutant derived from tissue culture lines of rice and investigates the heading-da...

To steer a course through the world, people are almost entirely dependent on visual information, of which a key component is optic flow. In many models of locomotion, heading is described as the fundamental control variable; however, it has also been shown that fixating points along or near one's future path could be the basis of an efficient control solution. Here, the authors aim to establish...

Inertial navigation based on micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMUs) has attracted numerous researchers due to its high reliability and independence. The heading estimation, as one of the most important parts of inertial navigation, has been a research focus in this field. Heading estimation using magnetometers is perturbed by magnetic disturbances, such as indoo...

Heading direction is determined from visual and vestibular cues. Both sensory modalities have been shown to have better direction discrimination for headings near straight ahead. Previous studies of visual heading estimation have not used the full range of stimuli, and vestibular heading estimation has not previously been reported. The current experiments measure human heading estimation in the...