The contribution of coordinated eye and head movements in hand pointing accuracy

The accuracy of pointing movements of the hand, directed at visual targets 10 degrees to 40 degrees from the midline, was measured in normal human subjects. No visual feedback from the moving hand was available to the subjects. The head could be either maintained stationary (head-fixed condition) or free to move (head-free condition) during the pointing movements. It was found that the error in pointing was reduced for all targets in the head-free condition. This reduction was more important for the more eccentric target (40 degrees). Improvement in accuracy was observed without any significant change in either the latency or the duration of eye, head or hand movements. In the head-free condition, it was found that the head was displaced in the direction of the target by an amount representing no more than 2/3 of the target amplitude. The improvement in accuracy was not influenced by the amplitude of the head movement. A model is proposed which shows how coordinated eye and head movements could improve the encoding of target position.