The use of optical flow and splay angle in steering a central path

In the present experiment we investigated the importance of velocity information during a lane-centering task between the walls of a simulated tunnel. We v aried both simulated velocity and the spatial frequency content of the walls' surfaces, in order to address the innuence of each parameter on steering performance. Further, this performance was compared to the eeectiveness of lateral control using lane border information. We found that drivers used both velocity and spatial frequency information to maintain a centered position on a path, and that the presence of lane borders improved accuracy. The results suggest that multiple sources of visual information, rather than mere demarcating lines, are used for lateral control on a straight path.

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