Trained in Human Movement Sciences and Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, I currently perform research into Human Obstacle Avoidance. Using behavioral tasks that involve kinematic and eye-movement tracking I investigate the role of several features of obstacles on avoidance behavior in order to determine the underlying neural processes of this complex skill. This has been done in healthy controls and I am endeavoring to do it in people with visual field deficits (blind-sighted), so as to see which type of information (ventral-dorsal) is necessary for this behavior. In addition, I am researching the multisensory coding of the space around us when obstacles are present.
Publications
Menger, R., Van der Stigchel, S., & Dijkerman, H. C. (2012). How obstructing is an obstacle? The influence of starting posture on obstacle avoidance. Acta Psychologica. Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2012.06.006
Menger, R., & Withagen, R. (2009). How mechanical context and feedback jointly determine the use of mechanical variables in length perception by dynamic touch. Attention perception psychophysics, 71(8), 1862-1875.