Research Supervisor Connect
Our perception of the world does not solely rely on what our eyes see. Our actions play a crucial role in shaping how we perceive the world around us. Three of the most frequent actions are eye movements (saccades), reaching/grasping, and walking. The first two are well studied and known to influence perception. During saccades, for example, vision is briefly lost (“saccadic suppression”) and when reaching, our eye gaze diverts to the target and away from other objects. Despite its fundamental role in our daily lives, little is known about how walking influences perception.
This project combines multiple technologies (virtual reality, electroencephalography, eye tracking, motion platform, artificial intelligence) to test dynamic perception in free-walking observers in virtual multisensory environments. It will reveal how walking modulates perception at the step rate, the influence of intention (active vs passive action) and establish the neural mechanisms underlying the perception/action link.
Understanding the influence of walking on our perception holds the potential to improve public safety and unlock myriad benefits in our daily lives. For example, the discovery of saccadic suppression informed digital display design to improve user experiences (e.g., exploiting saccadic masking, reduced motion blur.). The outcomes from this project could be harnessed to inform public safety measures/policy and enhance the efficiency of digital displays, communication systems, and device feedback mechanisms, thereby enriching user experiences.
This opportunity/project is a part of Faculty of Science Australian Research Council (ARC) Scholarship scheme and will be advertised on the Scholarship Office website starting May 2025. The selected applicant is expected to commence their candidature in July (RP3) 2025 onward. Successful applicants will be supervised by Dr Reuben Rideaux and focus primarily on their own PhD projects. They will also have the opportunity to participate in any activities held at the University of Sydney under ARC Discovery Project (DP). Candidate will be enrolled in School of Psychology, Faculty of Science at University of Sydney.
Notes:
• The application process is separate from applying for admission to the University of Sydney.
• The scholarship will only be awarded once the successful scholarship applicant has received an unconditional offer of admission.
• International applicants are responsible for securing any necessary visas and costs to enable study based in Sydney.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3596