Active Touch Lab
The Active Touch Lab studies active perception and sensorimotor control of action using psychophysical methods, motion and force analysis and computation modelling of behavioural data.
We are based in the School of Psychology and are affiliated with the Centre for Human Brain Health and Centre for Developmental Science. Our collaborators include the Vision, Attention, Ageing Lab at the University of Nottingham and the VR Lab at the University of Birmingham.
Research Funders:
Active Touch
Touch gives us a very immediate sense of the environment. In some cases touch is imposed on us and we are passive observers. For example, our attention is drawn to someone who touches us on the arm. More commonly touch is active; we explore our environment to gain information through the sense of touch. How do the movements made during touch exploration and skilled action affect sensory experiences though touch? Movements depend on touch in their planning and execution. How does exploratory touch adapt to changes in touch feedback? We are interested in principles of touch for perception and action ranging from small-scale actions, such as in-hand multi-finger manipulation of small objects, to large-scale action, such as keeping balance assisted by finger-tip light touch.
Ageing Touch
How does our sense of touch change as we age? Our research examines how changes in skin mechanics, sensory receptors, and hand dexterity shape the way older adults explore, interact and perceive with the world through touch.
Clinical Touch
How does impaired touch affect sensation and action? People with touch impairments such as chemotherapy induced or diabetic peripheral neuropathy often feel tingling, numbness, pain, and loss of sensation in the hands and feet. This can affect everyday tasks such as picking up items, doing up buttons or keeping balance in standing and walking. Our research uses patient report, quantitative measures and statistical modelling to evaluate the impact of impaired touch on perception and action.
Active Touch Lab
School of Psychology
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT