Shape constancy in action and perception

行动和感知中的形状恒定性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-05050
• 负责人: Whitwell, Robert
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=764174
• 关键词: Shape; constancy; action; perception

The ability to make accurate, dexterous hand movements for grasping and manipulating objects is a defining behavioural feature of humans. These actions typically involve little mental effort, giving rise to the `common-sense' impression that the interaction between the visual and motor systems that underlie them is quite straightforward: i.e., we see the target object, and we grasp it. But things are not that simple. Consider, for example, the task of reaching for our smart phone. We would be at a loss if asked to specify the geometry that gets the fingers where they need to be. At minimum, we would need a description of the phone's structure and the distances and angles from the phone's surface to our limb and its various segments. And yet, when we reach for our phone in a myriad of everyday different contexts, our visuomotor system samples the visual array and performs the necessary computations to initiate the reach in a fraction of a second. Reaching for an object is a complex process that operates at the intersection of a host of systems involving vision, haptics, attention, memory, motor, and executive control. The purpose of this research program is to further explore how well geometric descriptions of the structure of 2D and 3D objects can explain how we perceive and act on objects across a range of viewpoints and viewing distances. In the short term, I propose: (1) to examine how well grasp-point selection is explained and guided by geometric descriptions of 2D and 3D object shape, such as the medial axis and its associated radius/distance function; (2) to develop and test a model of grasp point selection that is based on these geometric descriptions; and (3) to use MRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation to see what role the lateral-occipital and anterior intraparietal cortices play in computing the medial axis for forced-choice object classification tasks and the selection of stable contact points for grasping. This research program adopts a model of the visual system that uses the medial axis transform as a basis to derive structural representations and properties that assist with identifying and recognizing objects and with the selection of grasp points. Due to its computational nature and its resonance with computer vision and image processing, a model of grasp point selection based on the medial axis stands as a promising avenue for application in robotics and artificial intelligence, in addition to providing new directions for basic research using EEG, neuroimaging, and single-unit recordings. The long-term goals of this research program are geared towards the design and implementation of robots capable of flexible, human-like grasps and manipulation that can be deployed in environments ranging from assisted care to those that are hazardous and/or inaccessible to humans and, in particular, where the manual manipulation of novel objects of unpredictable shape and size is required.

使抓握和操纵物体进行准确，灵巧的手部动作的能力是人类的定义行为特征。这些动作通常涉及几乎没有心理的努力，从而给人以“常识”的印象，即它们构成的视觉和电机系统之间的相互作用非常简单：即，我们看到了目标对象，并且我们掌握了目标对象。但是事情并不是那么简单。例如，考虑触及我们智能手机的任务。如果要求指定将手指带到需要的几何形状，我们将不知所措。至少，我们需要描述手机的结构以及手机表面与肢体及其各个细分市场的距离和角度。然而，当我们在无数的日常不同环境中拿起手机时，我们的视觉运动系统采样了视觉阵列，并执行必要的计算以在一秒钟内启动覆盖范围。到达对象的是一个复杂的过程，该过程在涉及视觉，触觉，注意力，记忆，运动和执行控制的许多系统的交集中运行。该研究计划的目的是进一步探讨2D和3D对象结构的几何描述如何解释我们如何感知和对跨各种观点和观看距离的对象作用。在短期内，我建议：（1）检查如何通过2D和3D对象形状的几何描述来解释和指导抓地点，例如内侧轴及其相关的半径/距离函数； （2）开发和测试基于这些几何描述的GRASP选择模型； （3）使用MRI引导的经颅磁刺激来查看侧向枕骨和前后皮层的作用在计算内侧轴的内侧轴上，用于强制选择对象分类任务以及选择稳定的接触点以获取。该研究程序采用了视觉系统的模型，该模型使用内侧轴变换作为得出结构表示和属性的基础，以帮助识别和识别对象以及选择掌握点。由于其计算性质及其与计算机视觉和图像处理的共鸣，基于内侧轴的GRASP选择模型是在机器人和人工智能中应用的有前途的途径，除了为使用EEG，神经图像，神经图像和单一单位记录提供基础研究的新方向。该研究计划的长期目标旨在设计和实施能够灵活的，类似于人类的掌握和操纵的机器人，这些机器人可以部署在辅助护理到人类尤其是危险和/或无法访问的环境中，尤其是在某些情况下，在这里，需要对形状和尺寸的新颖对象进行手动操纵。