JCSE, vol. 7, no. 2, pp.122-131, June, 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5626/JCSE.2013.7.2.122

The MPI CyberMotion Simulator: A Novel Research Platform to Investigate Human Control Behavior

Frank M. Nieuwenhuizen, Heinrich H. Bulthoff
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tubingen, Germany/ Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tubingen, Germany & Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract: The MPI CyberMotion Simulator provides a unique motion platform, as it features an anthropomorphic robot with a large workspace, combined with an actuated cabin and a linear track for lateral movement. This paper introduces the simulator as a tool for studying human perception, and compares its characteristics to conventional Stewart platforms. Furthermore, an experimental evaluation is presented in which multimodal human control behavior is studied by identifying the visual and vestibular responses of participants in a roll-lateral helicopter hover task. The results show that the simulator motion allows participants to increase tracking performance by changing their control strategy, shifting from reliance on visual error perception to reliance on simulator motion cues. The MPI CyberMotion Simulator has proven to be a state-of-the-art motion simulator for psychophysical research to study humans with various experimental paradigms, ranging from passive perception experiments to active control tasks, such as driving a car or flying a helicopter.

Keyword: Motion simulator; Anthropomorphic robot; Cybernetics; Human perception; Psychophysics

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