Stereopsis in sports: Visual skills and visuomotor integration models in professional and non-professional athletes

Visual skills in sport are considered relevant variables of athletic performance. However, data on the specific contribution of stereopsis—as the ability to perceive depth—in sport performance are still scarce and scattered in the literature. The aim of this review is therefore to take stock of the effects of stereopsis on the athletic performance, also looking at the training tools to improve visual abilities and potential differences in the visuomotor integration processes of professional and non-professional athletes. Dynamic stereopsis is mainly involved in catching or interceptive actions of ball sports, whereas strategic sports use different visual skills (peripheral and spatial vision) due to the sport-specific requirements. As expected, professional athletes show better visual skills as compared to non-professionals. However, both non-professional and professional athletes should train their visual skills by using sensory stations and light boards systems. Non-professional athletes use the visual inputs as the main method for programming motor gestures. In contrast, professional athletes integrate visual information with sport expertise, thus, they encode the match (or the athletic performance) through a more complex visuomotor integration system. Although studies on visual skills and stereopsis in sports still appear to be in their early stages, they show a large potential for both scientific knowledge and technical development

Stereoscopic three-dimensional visualisation technology in anatomy learning: A meta-analysis

Objectives: The features that contribute to the apparent effectiveness of three-dimensional visualisation technology [3DVT] in teaching anatomy are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of stereopsis in learning anatomy with 3DVT. Methods: The review was conducted and reported according to PRISMA Standards. Literature search of English articles was performed using EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL EBSCOhost, ERIC EBSCOhost, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases until November 2019. Study selection, data extraction and study appraisal were performed independently by two authors. Articles were assessed for methodological quality using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument and the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias. For quantitative analysis, studies were grouped based on relative between-intervention differences in instructional methods and type of control conditions. Results: A total of 3934 citations were obtained of which 67 underwent a full-text review. Ultimately, 13 randomised controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. When interactive, stereoscopic 3D models were compared to interactive, monoscopic 3D models within a single level of instructional design, for example isolating stereopsis as the only true manipulated element in the experimental design, an effect size [ES] of 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.80; P <.00001) was found. In comparison with 2D images within multiple levels of instructional design, an effect size of 0.45 (95% CI 0.10-0.81; P <.002) was found. Stereopsis had no effect on learning when utilised with non-interactive 3D images (ES = −0.87, 95% CI −2.09-0.35; P =.16). Conclusion: Stereopsis is an important distinguishing element of 3DVT that has a significant positive effect on acquisition of anatomical knowledge when utilised within an interactive 3D environment. A distinction between stereoscopic and monoscopic 3DVT is essential to make in anatomical education and research

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 144

This bibliography lists 257 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in July 1975

Active Vision Strategies in Predation

Visual predation requires precise and accurate behaviour, for which many predators have evolved excellent visual skills. However, an animal's visual abilities are greatly affected by how it moves its eyes, known as active vision. Insects have immobile eyes but can direct their gaze by moving their heads and bodies. This thesis examines three predatory insects with different predatory strategies, to understand the extent to which active vision can be used in predation. The first experimental chapter considers the African praying mantid, Sphodromantis lineola. Praying mantids are stationary terrestrial predators, which use their extremely mobile necks to visually track prey until it is within reach. By using statistical models, we identified what factors elicited strikes and, importantly, their success rate. The timing of head movements greatly increased the chances of strike success, with earlier movements increasing the success rate. The second experimental chapter addresses how darting robber flies, Psilonyx annulatus, aerially attack static prey. Prior to attacking, darting robber flies translate their body around a central point, assessing their prey. After assessment, they attack from a position correlated with the target's absolute size, not its angular size. Prey is beyond the robber fly's stereopsis range during the period of assessment. Assessments of differently sized targets have similarities with the behaviour exhibited by jumping insects, which use motion parallax, a form of active vision, to assess jump distance, suggesting darting robber flies also use motion parallax to predate. The final experimental chapter considers killer flies, Coenosia attenuata, which chase moving targets aerially. Killer flies use a combination of gravity and wing acceleration to increase their speed when chasing prey from above. This increased speed restricts the flies' ability to steer. However, killer flies create strong looming stimuli which may trigger their prey to produce evasive manoeuvres, thereby slowing down. Moreover, by travelling faster towards their prey, killer flies may avoid losing track of it, a real danger when chasing moving prey with low- resolution eyes potentially avoided thanks to active vision. By employing active vision, each of the predators considered can achieve impressive performances, despite relying on very different strategies to capture prey. The use of active vision can increase the success of already excellent visual predators and improve the performance of predator with limited vision. However, active vision can also substantially alter predatory behaviour, leading to a trade- off between the advantages in visual perception active vision can bring and the disadvantage in behavioural efficiency of active vision strategies

Visual Perception and Cognition in Image-Guided Intervention

Surgical image visualization and interaction systems can dramatically affect the efficacy and efficiency of surgical training, planning, and interventions. This is even more profound in the case of minimally-invasive surgery where restricted access to the operative field in conjunction with limited field of view necessitate a visualization medium to provide patient-specific information at any given moment. Unfortunately, little research has been devoted to studying human factors associated with medical image displays and the need for a robust, intuitive visualization and interaction interfaces has remained largely unfulfilled to this day. Failure to engineer efficient medical solutions and design intuitive visualization interfaces is argued to be one of the major barriers to the meaningful transfer of innovative technology to the operating room. This thesis was, therefore, motivated by the need to study various cognitive and perceptual aspects of human factors in surgical image visualization systems, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of medical interfaces, and ultimately to improve patient outcomes. To this end, we chose four different minimally-invasive interventions in the realm of surgical training, planning, training for planning, and navigation: The first chapter involves the use of stereoendoscopes to reduce morbidity in endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The results of this study suggest that, compared with conventional endoscopes, the detection of the basilar artery on the surface of the third ventricle can be facilitated with the use of stereoendoscopes, increasing the safety of targeting in third ventriculostomy procedures. In the second chapter, a contour enhancement technique is described to improve preoperative planning of arteriovenous malformation interventions. The proposed method, particularly when combined with stereopsis, is shown to increase the speed and accuracy of understanding the spatial relationship between vascular structures. In the third chapter, an augmented-reality system is proposed to facilitate the training of planning brain tumour resection. The results of our user study indicate that the proposed system improves subjects\u27 performance, particularly novices\u27, in formulating the optimal point of entry and surgical path independent of the sensorimotor tasks performed. In the last chapter, the role of fully-immersive simulation environments on the surgeons\u27 non-technical skills to perform vertebroplasty procedure is investigated. Our results suggest that while training surgeons may increase their technical skills, the introduction of crisis scenarios significantly disturbs the performance, emphasizing the need of realistic simulation environments as part of training curriculum

Spatial Displays and Spatial Instruments

The conference proceedings topics are divided into two main areas: (1) issues of spatial and picture perception raised by graphical electronic displays of spatial information; and (2) design questions raised by the practical experience of designers actually defining new spatial instruments for use in new aircraft and spacecraft. Each topic is considered from both a theoretical and an applied direction. Emphasis is placed on discussion of phenomena and determination of design principles

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 183

This bibliography lists 273 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in July 1978

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 383)

This bibliography lists 100 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1992. Subject coverage includes the following topics: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 324)

This bibliography lists 200 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during May, 1989. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance