Influence of optic flow on the control of heading and target egocentric direction during steering toward a goal

Although previous studies have shown that people use both optic flow and target egocentric direction to walk or steer toward a goal, it remains in question how enriching the optic flow field affects the control of heading specified by optic flow and the control of target egocentric direction during goal-oriented locomotion. In the current study, we used a control-theoretic approach to separate the control response specific to these two cues in the visual control of steering toward a goal. The results showed that the addition of optic flow information (such as foreground motion and global flow) in the display improved the overall control precision, the amplitude, and the response delay of the control of heading. The amplitude and the response delay of the control of target egocentric direction were, however, not affected. The improvement in the control of heading with enriched optic flow displays was mirrored by an increase in the accuracy of heading perception. The findings provide direct support for the claim that people use the heading specified by optic flow as well as target egocentric direction to walk or steer toward a goal and suggest that the visual system does not internally weigh these two cues for goal-oriented locomotion control.