Neural mechanisms of collision detection and steering

Collision detection is something all animal species do as a matter of survival. Controlling our locomotion whether in a car, on a cycle or on foot is also a fundamental human behaviour. These perceptual tasks have not been removed by technological developments but have been amplified: Many aspects of our everyday life rely on detecting and processing steering errors or potential collisions (road usage, pedestrian travel, cluttered work environments). The aim of this project is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain areas involved in the selective processing of potential collisions and in the detection and correction of steering errors. We propose that knowledge of the neural systems involved in such judgments will provide a powerful tool for the understanding of human error, degenerative disorders or problems following brain injury, as well as being able to inform the development of assistive systems.