# GAZE AND THE VISUAL CONTROL OF FOOT PLACEMENT WHEN WALKING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN

> **NIH NIH R00** · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $229,062

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY & ABSTRACT
 Human locomotion through natural environments requires the coordination of all levels of
the sensorimotor hierarchy, from the cortical areas involved in processing of visual information
and high level planning to the subcortical and spinal structures involved in the regulation of the
gait and posture. However, despite the complex neural bases of human locomotion, the output
is highly regular and well organized around the basic physical dynamics and biomechanics that
define the stability and energetic costs of moving a bipedal body through space. There is a rich
and growing body of literature describing detailed knowledge each of the individual components
of human locomotion, including neural mechanisms, muscular neuromechanics, and
biomechanics. However, very little research exists on the way that visual input is used to
dynamically control locomotion, and the overall control structure of the integrated neural and
mechanical system during natural locomotion through a complex and dynamic world. This lack
of integrative research not only restricts the breadth of impact of research from these individual
disciplines, but also limits our ability to develop adequate treatment plans for loss of locomotor
ability deriving from systems-level factors such as aging, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. In
order to to fill this critical gap in our knowledge about human locomotion, it is necessary to
develop an integrated research program that examines the interactions between the visual,
neural, and mechanical bases of human movement through the world. In service of this general
goal, this proposal outlines research projects aimed at specific unanswered questions about
locomotion over different terrains. This proposal comprises three specific research and training
aims on the visual control of locomotion over rough terrain. Aim 1 focuses on the behavioral
task itself, Aim 2 investigates the sensory stimulus experienced during real-world locomotion,
and Aim 3 examines the motor integration of visually specified goals into the ongoing gait cycle.
Aim 1 investigates effects of changing environmental uncertainty and task demands on gaze
allocation strategies during locomotion over real-world rough terrain. Aim 2 analyzes and
models the visual stimulus experienced during locomotion over real-world rough terrain. Aim 3
determines how visually specified target footholds and targets are integrated into the ongoing
preferred steady-state gait. Together these aims will significantly advance our understanding of
how humans use vision to control their movement through the natural world, which greatly
increase our ability to develop clinical diagnosis and treatment for loss of locomotor function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224830
- **Project number:** 5R00EY028229-05
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonathan Samir Matthis
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $229,062
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224830

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224830, GAZE AND THE VISUAL CONTROL OF FOOT PLACEMENT WHEN WALKING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN (5R00EY028229-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224830. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*