Event
NACS Seminar: Steve Scott, "Putting Sensory Back into Voluntary Control"
Friday, May 9, 2014
10:15 a.m.
1103 Bioscience Research Building
Emerald Brooks
ebrooks@umd.edu
NACS Seminar Series
Putting sensory back into voluntary control
Dr. Steve Scott
Queen’s University
Host: Dr. Ross Miller
Abstract
Optimal feedback control can explain many features of biological movement, such as success with variability, motor synergies and goal-directed behavior. The lecture will describe the use of optimal control to interpret motor performance, highlighting the importance of sensory feedback in this process. My talk will highlight how simple mechanical perturbations applied to the limb can uncover a range of sophisticated feedback processes, including knowledge of limb mechanics, scaling to spatial target location, and avoidance of obstacles in the environment. As well, I will highlight how sensory and motor cortices participate in this online control.