Thesis Project Form

Title (tentative): Real and Perceived Arm Geometry in Reaching Movements: A Kinematic Modeling Approach

Thesis advisor(s): Casadio Maura, Michela Bassolino (michela.bassolino@hevs.ch)	E-mail:
Address: Via Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova (ITALY)	Phone: (+39) 010 33 52749

Description

Motivation and application domain

Proprioceptive estimates of limb length and of starting position are not always accurate. It is not fully understood whatever and how those inaccurate perception may influence how people plan and perform reaching movements when visual feedback is unavailable. This project investigates the effects of limb perception in the context of human motor control.

General objectives and main activities

The project aims to develop and evaluate a kinematic model of reaching using motion-capture data. It will examine how real and perceived forearm length and starting position affect fingertip trajectories, and compare model predictions with reaching data.

Training Objectives (technical/analytical tools, experimental methodologies)

The work allows to develop skills in kinematic data processing, inverse and forward kinematics, modelling in MATLAB language.

Place(s) where the thesis work will be carried out: University of Applied Science of Western Switzerland, (HES-SO Valais Wallis).

Additional information

Pre-requisite abilities/skills: signal processing, statistical analyses, kinematic data analysis, programming languages for scientific computing (e.g., Matlab)

Maximum number of students: 1

Financial support/scholarship: Erasmus