Robotic Integrated Gaze Tracker for Mapping Eye-Hand Interactions during Motor Learning

机器人集成视线跟踪器，用于绘制运动学习期间的眼手交互

• 批准号: RTI-2019-00459
• 负责人: Boyd, Lara
• 金额: $ 7.57万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=646101
• 关键词: Robotic; Integrated; Gaze; Tracker; Mapping

***I am requesting funding to upgrade my existing KINARM EndPoint robot with the best-in-class gaze tracker (Eyelink 1000+, SR Research, Ottawa) from BKIN (Kingston, Ontario). This gaze tracker is the first of its kind and is the only commercially-available tracker compatible with my NSERC RTI funded (2014) robot. This is because of the need to track solely in the horizontal plane. This upgrade will enable gaze tracking during motor learning using the arms and facilitate a new line of research that considers visuomotor brain plasticity. ******My current NSERC grant is focused on understanding how white matter networks change with experience (learning). The gaze tracker requested here will enable robust consideration of how the visual and motor systems interact during learning. Specifically, it will enable a new line of research in my lab that tests ideas surrounding visual system neuroplasticity and extends past discoveries. Failure to obtain the requested equipment will stall our understanding of how vision and arm movement interact to support motor learning.******In past NSERC funded research my group discovered that learning a novel visuomotor task stimulated significant increases in the thickness of myelin in the intraparietal sulcus. This was the first report of plasticity in myelin associated with motor learning in the human brain. In this research, significant increases in myelin thickness in the intraparietal sulcus was stimulated by learning a novel visuomotor task. At this time my group can only map the contribution of learned arm movements to myelin plasticity. Yet, the intraparietal sulcus is known to be important for the integration of vision into movement. We do not understand whether myelin plasticity was associated with the learning of arm movements, eye movements or both. Acquisition of a gaze tracking system integrated with my KINARM EndPoint robot will allow my group to test this question. ******At this time there are no other bimanual KINARM EndPoint robots at UBC. There are other gaze tracking systems but because of the need to track gaze in the horizontal plane none can be integrated with my robotic device. Acquisition of a gaze tracker will position my research group at the leading edge of the study of neuroplastic changes associated with human motor learning. It will also enable the expansion of my proposed Discovery grant research. My KINARM EndPoint robot is already well utilized, adding gaze tracking will cause it to be in use >90% of the time. Further, the line of research facilitated by this equipment will significantly advance the training of HQP, including women; currently 10 of 13 HQP my research group are women. In sum, the research contributions enabled by the acquisition of this equipment will move the entire field forward by specifying the relationship(s) between eye and arm movement driven structural plasticity during human motor learning.

*我正在申请资金，以便将我现有的KINARM终端机器人升级到BKIN(安大略省金斯敦)的同类最佳凝视跟踪器(Eyelink 1000+，SR Research，渥太华)。这款凝视跟踪器是同类产品中的第一款，也是唯一一款与我的NSERC RTI(2014)资助的机器人兼容的商用跟踪器。这是因为只需要在水平面上进行跟踪。这一升级将支持使用手臂在运动学习期间进行凝视跟踪，并促进一项新的研究路线，该研究考虑视觉运动大脑的可塑性。*我目前的NSERC拨款专注于了解白质网络如何随着经验(学习)而变化。这里要求的凝视跟踪器将使我们能够对视觉和运动系统在学习过程中如何相互作用进行强有力的考虑。具体地说，它将使我的实验室能够开展一项新的研究，测试围绕视觉系统神经可塑性的想法，并扩展过去的发现。未能获得所需的设备将阻碍我们理解视觉和手臂运动如何相互作用来支持运动学习。在过去由NSERC资助的研究中，我的团队发现，学习一项新的视觉运动任务会刺激顶沟内髓鞘厚度的显着增加。这是人类大脑中髓鞘可塑性与运动学习相关的第一个报告。在这项研究中，学习一项新的视觉运动任务刺激了顶内沟髓鞘厚度的显著增加。在这个时候，我的团队只能映射出习得的手臂运动对髓鞘可塑性的贡献。然而，众所周知，顶内沟对于视觉与运动的整合是重要的。我们不知道髓鞘可塑性是否与学习手臂运动、眼球运动或两者都有关。我的KINARM终端机器人集成了一个凝视跟踪系统，这将使我的团队能够测试这个问题。*目前，UBC没有其他双手动KINARM终端机器人。还有其他的凝视跟踪系统，但由于需要在水平面上跟踪凝视，没有一个系统可以与我的机器人设备集成在一起。获得一台凝视跟踪器将使我的研究小组处于与人类运动学习相关的神经可塑性变化研究的前沿。它还将使我提议的探索基金研究得以扩展。我的KINARM终端机器人已经得到了很好的利用，加上凝视跟踪功能，它90%的时间都在使用中。此外，由该设备推动的研究路线将大大促进包括妇女在内的HQP的培训；目前，我的研究小组13名HQP中有10名是女性。总而言之，收购该设备所带来的研究贡献将通过明确人类运动学习过程中眼睛和手臂运动驱动的结构可塑性之间的关系(S)来推动整个领域的发展。