A postdoctoral position is available beginning in 2023 to help develop a brain-machine interface for dexterous control of a cortically-controlled robotic arm and hand. The approach involves creating 1) decoding strategies from electrical signals in motor cortex that enable the user to not only control the movements of the arm and hand but also the forces transmitted through the hand and 2) encoding models to convey tactile sensations to the user through intracortical microstimulation of somatosensory cortex.

Interval timing is a fundamental component action, and is susceptible to motor-related temporal distortions. Previous studies have shown that movement biases temporal estimates, but have primarily considered self-modulated movement only. However, real-world encounters often include situations in which movement is restricted or perturbed by environmental factors. In the following experiments, we introduced viscous movement environments to externally modulate movement and investigated the resulting effects on temporal perception. In two separate tasks, participants timed auditory intervals while moving a robotic arm that randomly applied four levels of viscosity. Results demonstrated that higher viscosity led to shorter perceived durations. Using a drift-diffusion model and a Bayesian observer model, we confirmed these biasing effects arose from perceptual mechanisms, instead of biases in decision making. These findings suggest that environmental perturbations are an important factor in movement-related temporal distortions, and enhance the current understanding of the interactions of motor activity and cognitive processes. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.26.355396v1