NSF/SBE-BSF:Integration of kinesthetic and tactile information in perception, action, and learning

简单的动作，如打开罐子或点燃火柴，取决于抓住不同形状物体的能力，以及在不同方向上施加有规律的力和运动的能力。当我们拿着一杯水时，手指施加的力指向玻璃表面，我们的大脑协调这些力以防止滑动并保持玻璃的方向。计划中的研究将联合收割机结合控制工程和机器人技术的计算方法和神经科学的技术和理论，以了解大脑在举起和操纵物体时如何控制抓握力，以及如何估计物体的机械特性。调查将考虑如何抓住一个对象是受影响的不确定性的对象属性（例如，它的硬度、光滑度、纹理等）以及如何通过人工增加触觉信息来增强基本的操纵技能。这些研究的结果将影响几个领域，包括（1）神经科学（了解我们用手控制和操纵物体的能力）;（2）技术（向机器人设备的用户提供力信息，如远程操作和机器人辅助手术）;和（3）神经康复（开发智能机器人假体和新的练习，以促进失去的手工技能的恢复）。这些研究将建立美国和以色列科学家之间的合作互动，这些科学家拥有一系列专业知识，包括机器人技术，控制，运动系统神经科学和神经康复。让手指在灵巧操作过程中合作需要整合不同类型的信息。手指具有丰富的触觉传感器阵列，这些触觉传感器生成与对象交互相关的信号。然而，为了让大脑知道这些力的大小和方向，它还必须知道手指在空间中的方向。这些信息是通过其他来源获得的，这些来源构成了身体在空间中位置感的基础。抓握的控制也可以通过肌肉中的动觉力传感器来通知，所述动觉力传感器又与关节在空间中的配置的感觉集成。该项目利用了一种新技术，可以对手指的皮肤进行受控拉伸。安装在机器人操纵器上的皮肤拉伸装置将用于在受试者执行操纵任务时施加各种受控扰动。扰动将被应用于增加或减少触觉和动觉反馈之间的一致性，并研究大脑如何适应在不可预测和可预测的力期间保持稳定抓握的能力。该方法将联合收割机理论和实验相结合，以解决在感知和控制操纵和抓握力方面的多个信息源的整合问题。以色列两国科学基金会。

Simple acts such as opening a jar or lighting a match depend on the ability to grasp objects with different shapes and to apply well-regulated forces and movements in different directions. When we hold a glass of water, the forces applied by the fingers are directed against the surface of the glass, and our brain coordinates these forces to prevent slippage and maintain the orientation of the glass. The planned studies will combine computational methods derived from control engineering and robotics with techniques and theories from neuroscience to understand how the brain controls grip forces when lifting and manipulating objects and how it estimates an object's mechanical properties. The investigations will consider how grasping an object is affected by uncertainties about the object properties (e.g., it's hardness, slipperiness, texture, etc) and how fundamental manipulation skills may be enhanced by artificially augmenting tactile information. The outcomes of these studies will influence several domains including (1) neuroscience (understanding our ability to control and manipulate objects with our hands); (2) technology (for presenting force information to users of robotic devices such as teleoperation and robot-assisted surgery); and (3) neurorehabilitation (for developing intelligent robotic prostheses and new exercises to promote the recovery of lost manual skills). These studies will establish a collaborative interaction between scientists in the United States and Israel having a range of expertise that includes robotics, control, motor systems neuroscience and neurorehabilitation.Getting the fingers to cooperate during dexterous manipulation requires the integration of different types of information. The fingers have a rich array of tactile sensors that generate signals related to the interaction with the object. However, for the brain to know the magnitude and direction of these forces, it must also know the orientation of the fingers in space. This information is obtained by other sources that form the basis for the sense of position of the body in space. The control of grasp can also be informed by kinesthetic force sensors in the muscles that in turn are integrated with the sense of the joint's configuration in space. This project takes advantage of a new technology that allows applying controlled stretches to the skin of the fingers. Skin stretch devices mounted on a robotic manipulator will be used to apply a variety of controlled perturbations while subjects are performing manipulation tasks. Perturbations will be applied to increase or decrease the consistency between tactile and kinesthetic feedback, and to investigate how the brain adapts the ability to maintain a stable grasp during both unpredictable and predictable forces. The approach will combine theory and experiments to tackle the integration of multiple information sources in perception and in controlling manipulation and grip forces.This project is being supported by a partnership between the National Science Foundation and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation.