Translational Optic Flow Induces Shifts in Direction of Active Forward and Backward Self-Motion

Previously, we reported that when observers passively experience real linear oscillatory somatic motion while viewing orthogonal visual optic flow patterns, their perceived motion direction is intermediate to those specified by visual and vestibular information individually (Sakurai et al., 2002, ACV; 2003, ECVP; 2010, VSS; Kubodera et al., 2010, APCV). Here, we extend those studies to active somatic motion, measuring the angular shift in body direction after active body motion while viewing synchronized orthogonal optic flow. Experimental visual stimuli consisted of 1 second of translating leftward (rightward) random-dots and 1 second of random noise. Control stimuli consisted of two 1-second intervals of random noise separated by a static interval. Observers viewed the stimulus for 30 seconds through a face-mounted display while actively stepping forward and backward such that their forward body movement was synchronized with the random-dot translational motion. Observers' body direction was measured before and after each trial. Translational optic flow induced shifts in body direction that were opposite to shifts in perceived direction with passive viewing in our previous reports. Observers may have compensated their body motion in response to perceived direction shifts similar to those we reported for passive viewing.