Behavioral and neuroimaging investigation of objects in the real world

虽然人类能够识别物体很重要，但能够与它们进行适当的交互也很重要。例如，在做晚餐时，我们可能不仅仅是寻找一个特定的物体或工具（如抹刀），还可以抓住并移动它（如将抹刀放在水槽中）或适当地使用它（如使用抹刀翻转汉堡包）。这些功能，虽然看起来毫不费力，但需要许多大脑区域的协调。我的研究目标是了解人类大脑如何处理对象，特别是那些与动作有关的对象。 虽然我们能够很容易地识别工具时，他们被描绘成图像（如图片在杂志），我们永远不会试图抓住或使用一个工具的图片。然而令人惊讶的是，过去在物体视觉方面所做的许多研究都是使用照片而不是真实的物体。只有在极少数情况下（比如猜谜游戏），我们才可能用手势来模仿物体的使用（比如假装手里没有锅铲就翻汉堡包）。然而，过去对工具的研究大多集中在哑剧动作上，尽管研究表明，哑剧动作和实际执行动作依赖于不同的大脑机制。 我的实验室已经开发出研究真实的物体上的真实的动作的技术。这种方法甚至适用于大脑成像，在大脑成像中，处理真实的物体比处理图片更具挑战性。我们的研究将考察真实的物体与物体图片在行为和大脑激活方面的异同。这项研究将使我们能够更好地了解使我们能够有效地识别和对物体采取行动的大脑机制。它将有助于解释那些在识别物体或执行动作方面有问题的患者的大脑疾病。它甚至可能有助于神经假肢的发展，使运动障碍患者能够使用大脑信号来指导人造机器人手臂的运动。虽然在开发这种用于伸手和抓握的技术方面取得了惊人的进展，但最终用户必须能够与真实的物体进行交互并使用真实的工具。

While it is important for humans to be able to recognize objects, it is also essential to be able to interact appropriately with them. For example, while making dinner, we may not just look for a particular object or tool (such as a spatula), but also grasp and move it (such as putting the spatula in the sink) or use it appropriately (such as using a spatula to flip a hamburger). These functions, though seemingly effortless, require the coordination of many brain areas. The goal of my research is to understand how the human brain processes objects, particularly those associated with actions. Although we are able to easily recognize tools when they are depicted as images (such as a picture in a magazine), we would never try to grasp or use a picture of a tool. Yet surprisingly, much of the past research done in object vision has used photographs rather than real objects. Only rarely (such as charades) might we pantomime the use of an object (such as pretending to flip a hamburger without having a spatula in your hand). Yet again, much of the past research on tools has focused on pantomimed actions even though research suggests that pantomiming an action and actually performing it rely on different brain mechanisms. My lab has developed techniques for studying real actions upon real objects. This approach even works with brain imaging, where it is more challenging to work with real objects than pictures. Our research will examine similarities and differences in behavior and brain activation for real objects compared to pictures of objects. This research will enable us to better understand the brain mechanisms that enable us to efficiently recognize and act upon objects. It will be useful for interpreting brain disorders in patients who have problems recognizing objects or performing actions. It may even contribute to the development of neural prosthetics, enabling patients with motor disorders to use brain signals to guide movements of an artificial robotic arm. While striking progress has been made in developing this technology for reaching and grasping, ultimately users have to be able to interact with real objects and use real tools.