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Egocentric and allocentric reference frames for catching a falling object

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Abstract

When programming movement, one must account for gravitational acceleration. This is particularly important when catching a falling object because the task requires a precise estimate of time-to-contact. Knowledge of gravity’s effects is intimately linked to our definition of ‘up’ and ‘down’. Both directions can be described in an allocentric reference frame, based on visual and/or gravitational cues, or in an egocentric reference frame in which the body axis is taken as vertical. To test which frame humans use to predict gravity’s effect, we asked participants to intercept virtual balls approaching from above or below with artificially controlled acceleration that could be congruent or not with gravity. To dissociate between these frames, subjects were seated upright (trunk parallel to gravity) or lying down (body axis orthogonal to the gravitational axis). We report data in line with the use of an allocentric reference frame and discuss its relevance depending on available gravity-related cues.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by grants from the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Neurobiologie des Réseaux Sensorimoteurs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France

    Anne Brec’hed Le Séac’h, Patrice Senot & Joseph McIntyre

  2. Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Perception et de l’Action, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005, Paris, France

    Anne Brec’hed Le Séac’h, Patrice Senot & Joseph McIntyre

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  1. Anne Brec’hed Le Séac’h
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  2. Patrice Senot
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  3. Joseph McIntyre
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Correspondence to Joseph McIntyre.

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Le Séac’h, A.B., Senot, P. & McIntyre, J. Egocentric and allocentric reference frames for catching a falling object. Exp Brain Res 201, 653–662 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-2081-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-2081-1

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