Citation

Klein Breteler MD, Meulenbroek RG, Gielen SC. Acta Psychol. 1998; 100(1-2): 37-53.

Affiliation

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. kleinbreteler@nici.kun.nl

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9844555

Abstract

The present study focuses on geometric features of workspace and joint-space paths of three-dimensional reaching movements. Twelve subjects repeatedly performed a three-segment, triangular-shaped movement pattern in an approximately 60 degrees tilted horizontal plane. Task variables elicited movement patterns that varied in position, rotational direction and speed. Trunk, arm, hand and finger-tip movements were recorded by means of a 3D motion-tracking system. Angular excursions of the shoulder and elbow joints were extracted from position data. Analyses of the shape of 3D workspace and joint-space paths focused on the extent to which the submovements were produced in a plane, and on the curvature of the central parts of the submovements. A systematic tendency to produce movements in a plane was found in addition to an increase of finger-tip path curvature with increasing speed. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of optimization principles in trajectory-formation models.

Language: en