Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

MPI CyberMotion Simulator: Implementation of a Novel Motion Simulator to Investigate Multisensory Path Integration in Three Dimensions
Published on: May 10, 2012
Interacting noise sources shape patterns of arm movement variability in three-dimensional space
Gregory A Apker1, Timothy K Darling, Christopher A Buneo
1School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-9709, USA.
Noise in planning and execution impacts reaching movements. Planning noise significantly shapes endpoint variability in 3D space, with execution noise adding direction-dependent variability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Reaching movements involve noise during planning and execution.
- Understanding noise interaction is crucial for movement variability in healthy and impaired individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay of planning and execution noise in unconstrained reaching movements.
- To determine the contribution of each noise source to endpoint variability.
Main Methods:
- Subjects performed sequences of two reaching movements to targets in varying depth planes.
- Movement direction and visual feedback conditions were manipulated.
- Reach endpoint variability was analyzed for anisotropic patterns.
Main Results:
- Reach endpoint distributions exhibited significant anisotropy.
- Principal axes of variability aligned with the depth axis, suggesting dominance of planning noise.
- Execution noise influenced variability in a manner dependent on movement direction.
Conclusions:
- Visual planning noise is a primary factor in anisotropic 3D reach endpoint variability.
- Execution noise modulates this variability based on movement direction.
Related Concept Videos
Three-Dimensional Force System:Problem Solving
To solve a three-dimensional force system, first resolve each force into its respective scalar components. Do this using...
Three-Dimensional Force System
Curvilinear Motion: Rectangular Components
As the car advances, its position evolves over time. Quantifying the car's velocity involves computing the time...
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
The positive direction of the t-axis aligns with the increasing position of the car along the curved path, denoted by the unit vector ut. Simultaneously, the n-axis, perpendicular to the t-axis, dissects the curved path into differential arc segments, each forming the arc of a circle with a radius of...
Cylinders in Three-Dimensional Space
Absolute Motion Analysis- General Plane Motion
As the drone's propellers rotate, an upward force is generated that counteracts the force of gravity, enabling the drone to lift off from the ground. This initial movement of the drone is along a straight path, representing a form of translational motion. In this phase, every point on the drone...

