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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Development of a Novel Task-oriented Rehabilitation Program using a Bimanual Exoskeleton Robotic Hand

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Published on: May 20, 2020

Motor planning in bimanual object manipulation: two plans for two hands?

Loes Janssen¹, Céline Crajé, Matthias Weigelt

¹Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands and Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, The Netherlands.

|May 21, 2010

Summary

When choosing grips for bimanual tasks, individuals prioritize comfort over symmetry. Motor planning for each hand appears independent when one grip is instructed and the other is freely chosen.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Human Movement Science

Background:

Anticipatory motor planning is crucial for coordinated movements.
Understanding bimanual task interactions informs theories of motor control.
The interplay between grip selection and hand independence is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate anticipatory motor planning in discrete bimanual tasks.
To examine the interaction between grip selection for both hands.
To determine if motor planning is independent or coupled between hands under varying constraints.

Main Methods:

Participants performed a simultaneous bimanual grasp and manipulation task.
Experimental conditions varied grip selection requirements and pre-instruction.
Grip choices for each hand were manipulated (free vs. instructed).

Main Results:

Participants prioritized comfortable end-postures over movement symmetry when grip choice was free for both hands.
No significant interaction was observed between hands when one grip was instructed and the other was free.
This suggests independent motor planning for each hand under specific conditions.

Conclusions:

Motor planning in bimanual tasks can be independent, particularly when constraints differ between hands.
Grip selection planning is influenced by the need for comfortable postures.
Findings contribute to models of anticipatory motor planning and bimanual coordination.