Personal and environmental factors underlying locomotor navigation

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As we walk around, we must control many segments in different directions. At the same time, we must different environmental factors that can challenge us both physically and mentally. This research program is dedicated to understanding the organisation, versatility and limitations of the control of human navigation during walking. The basic knowledge gained here has far reaching applications across areas related to artificial locomotion (e.g., robotics), bioengineering (musculo-skeletal enhancement), spatial enhancement (architecture and geomatics) and rehabilitation. The present proposal will concentrate on the study of a) the means of coordinating the lower limbs for propulsion and equilibrium in different directions simultaneously and b) the interaction of visual and inner ear (vestibular) information during different situations of navigation. These factors will be studied within environmental contexts found in real life situations imposing both physical (obstructions) and cognitive (competition of attentional resources) constraints. In addition to studying healthy adult populations, persons with visual problems and pre-adolescent children born pre-term (as compared to those born at term) will be studied. Three-dimensional measurements of body movement and the coordination of its segments will be investigated in all projects. Visual factors will be inferred from head stabilization as well as measured directly from eye movements. Contributions from the vestibular system will be studied by perturbing information flowing from this system through low-current electrical stimulation. Overall, this research program combines techniques probing both mechanical and sensory factors underlying walking control in order to better understand how we navigate our environments.