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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

Published on: January 15, 2016

Human odometer is gait-symmetry specific.

Michael T Turvey¹, Carissa Romaniak-Gross, Robert W Isenhower

¹Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action , U 20, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA. michael.turvey@uconn.edu

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|September 11, 2009

Summary

Human distance perception relies on coordinated limb movements, not just step count. Our study shows that accurate distance measurement through walking requires consistent gait symmetry for reliable navigation.

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Area of Science:

Human locomotion
Proprioception
Spatial cognition

Background:

George Berkeley hypothesized distance is measurable by body motion.
Previous assumptions suggested distance perception relies on step count and length.
The reliability of locomotion-based distance measurement requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To test Berkeley's hypothesis on distance measurement through legged locomotion.
To determine if distance measurement is invariant to gait, speed, and step number.
To investigate the role of gait symmetry in human odometry.

Main Methods:

Blindfolded participants walked specific distances and reproduced them.
Outbound and return gaits varied in symmetry, step size, and frequency.

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Experiments manipulated bipedal gait based on symmetry group analyses.

Main Results:

Berkeley's hypothesis was supported only when measure and report gaits shared the same symmetry class.
Idiothetic distance measurement was found to be gait-symmetry specific.
Distance perception accuracy decreased when gait symmetry differed between measurement and reproduction.

Conclusions:

Human odometry is specific to gait symmetry, challenging traditional models.
Coordination variables like global phase, not individual limb metrics, are crucial for distance estimation.
Findings suggest a more complex mechanism for spatial navigation in humans and potentially other animals.