Alan Miles Wing

University of Birmingham · School of Psychology

The synchronization of motor responses to rhythmic auditory cues is a fundamental biological phenomenon observed across various species. While the importance of temporal alignment varies across different contexts, achieving precise temporal synchronization is a prominent goal in musical performances. Musicians often incorporate expressive timing va...

Introduction Psychophysical studies suggest texture perception is mediated by spatial and vibration codes (duplex theory). Vibration coding, driven by relative motion between digit and stimulus, is involved in the perception of very fine gratings whereas coarse texture perception depends more on spatial coding, which does not require relative motio...

When musicians play in ensemble, they continuously adapt to each other to ensure that the group keeps time together. This adaptation can be captured by a linear phase correction model, representing how they adjust to one another. The Augmented Reality Musical Ensemble (ARME) project is building a system for solo musicians to practise with a virtual...

Tactile sensitivity is affected by age, as shown by the deterioration of spatial acuity assessed with the two‐point discrimination task. This is assumed to be partly a result of age‐related changes of the peripheral somatosensory system. In particular, in the elderly, the density of mechanoreceptive afferents decreases with age and the skin tends t...

With sliding contact humans are able to perceive tactile features at the micron scale, such as a single dot raised only few microns when placed on a smooth surface. Frictional effects are important in determining the tactile cues available in sliding and depend on a variety of factors. In this study, we investigated how detection sensitivity to a s...

Onset detection is the process of identifying the start points of musical note events within an audio recording. While the detection of percussive onsets is often considered a solved problem, soft onsets-as found in string instrument recordings-still pose a significant challenge for state-of-the-art algorithms. The problem is further exacerbated by...

In this chapter we examine music ensemble timing. This process, in which musicians watch and listen to sense each other and so adjust the timing of their motor actions in order to maintain good ensemble synchronisation, may be considered an example of sensorimotor synchronisation. We recount how experimental studies of the act of tapping along to a...

We review four current computational models that simulate the response of mechanoreceptors in the glabrous skin to tactile stimulation. The aim is to inform researchers in psychology, sensorimotor science and robotics who may want to implement this type of quantitative model in their research. This approach proves relevant to understanding of the i...

Background Apraxia and action disorganization syndrome (AADS) after stroke can disrupt activities of daily living (ADL). Occupational therapy has been effective in improving ADL performance, however, inclusion of multiple tasks means it is unclear which therapy elements contribute to improvement. We evaluated the efficacy of a task model approach t...

The synthesis of realistic robot grasps in a simulated environment is pivotal in generating datasets that support sim-to-real transfer learning. In a step toward achieving this goal, we propose PrendoSim, an open-source grasp generator based on a proxy-hand simulation that employs NVIDIA’s physics engine (PhysX) and the recently released articulate...

Roughness perception through fingertip contact with a textured surface can involve spatial and temporal cues from skin indentation and vibration respectively. Both types of cue may be affected by contact forces when feeling a surface and we ask whether, on a given trial, discrimination performance relates to contact forces. We examine roughness dis...

The temporal profile of one’s movement and its associated tactile feedback is a key component in a successful exploration of surfaces of the object. The implementation of haptics in virtual systems facilitates the scientific investigation of characteristics ofaction and movement. However, most haptic systems are subject to unavoidable rendering...

The creation and delivery of haptic force-feedback that conveys the impression of touching an object can be challenging because the signal needs to be perceived to be lawfully coupled to user’s actions. The generation and delivery of haptic feedback could take time, and the delay can become perceivable. Here we examine what is the minimum detectabl...

The original article [1] contained a minor error in the following sentence in the Discussion:

Background: Intensive robot-assisted training of the upper limb after stroke can reduce motor impairment, even at the chronic stage. However, the effectiveness of practice for recovery depends on the selection of the practised movements. We hypothesized that rehabilitation can be optimized by selecting the movements to be practiced based on the tra...

The way an object is released by the passer to a partner is fundamental for the success of the handover and for the experienced fluency and quality of the interaction. Nonetheless, although its apparent simplicity, object handover involves a complex combination of predictive and reactive control mechanisms that were not fully investigated so far. H...

Chronic upper limb impairment is often caused by central or peripheral nerve damage. Patients undergo a series of assessments prior, during and following treatment. Treatments can range from physiotherapy to surgical intervention, however, assessments are often limited to a small range of tests, including subjective ratings and movement imitation t...

Asymmetry in weight-bearing is a common feature in post-stroke hemiparesis, and is related to temporal asymmetry during walking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an auditory cue for stepping in place on measures of temporal and weight-bearing asymmetry. Ten community-dwelling adults (four female) with chronic post-stroke hemip...

Background Not all stroke survivors respond to the same form of physical therapy in the same way early after stroke. The response is variable and a detailed understanding of the interaction between specific physical therapies and neural structure and function is needed. Objectives To determine if upper limb recovery is enhanced more by functional...

Background Variation in physiological deficits underlying upper limb paresis after stroke could influence how people recover and to which physical therapy they best respond. Objectives To determine whether functional strength training (FST) improves upper limb recovery more than movement performance therapy (MPT). To identify: (a) neural correlate...

Background Chronic upper limb motor impairment is a common outcome of stroke. Therapeutic training can reduce motor impairment. Recently, a growing interest in evaluating motor training provided by robotic assistive devices has emerged. Robot-assisted therapy is attractive because it provides a means of increasing practice intensity without increas...

Whether tree canopy habitats played a sustained role in the ecology of ancestral bipedal hominins is unresolved. Some argue that arboreal bipedalism was prohibitively risky for hominins whose increasingly modern anatomy prevented them from gripping branches with their feet. Balancing on two legs is indeed challenging for humans under optimal condit...

We explore the ways in which animate objects can be used to cue actions as part of coaching in Activities of Daily Living (ADL). In this case, changing the appearance or behavior of a physical object is intended to cue actions which are appropriate for a given context. The context is defined by the intention of the users, the state of the objects a...

Background Hemiparesis after stroke typically results in a reduced walking speed, an asymmetrical gait pattern and a reduced ability to make gait adjustments. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of home-based training involving auditory cueing of stepping in place. Methods Twelve community-dw...

We explore the ways in which smart objects can be used to cue actions as part of coaching for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) following brain damage or injury, such as might arise following a stroke. In this case, appropriate actions are cued for a given context. The context is defined by the intention of the users, the state of the objects and th...

The present study draws together two distinct lines of enquiry into the selection and control of sequential action: motor sequence production and action selection in everyday tasks. Participants were asked to build 2 different Lego walls. The walls were designed to have hierarchical structures with shared and dissociated colors and spatial componen...

People make systematic errors when localizing a brief tactile stimulus in external space presented on the index finger while moving the arm. While these errors likely arise in the spatiotemporal integration of the tactile input and information about arm position, the underlying arm position information used in this process is not known. In this stu...

Cerebellar stroke typically results in increased variability during walking. Previous research has suggested that auditory cueing reduces excessive variability in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and post-stroke hemiparesis. The aim of this case report was to investigate whether the use of a metronome cue during walking could reduce excessive...

A linear phase correction model has been shown to accurately reflect the corrective processes involved in synchronising motor actions to an external rhythmic cue. The model originated from simple finger tapping studies to an isochronous metronome beat and is based on the time series of asynchronies between the metronome and corresponding finger tap...

To maintain synchrony in group activities, each individual within the group must continuously correct their movements to remain in time with the temporal cues available. Cues might originate from one or more members of the group. Current research suggests that when synchronising movements, individuals optimise their performance in terms of minimisi...

The stability of a mechanical system may be defined as the time taken to return to its initial state when perturbed by external forces or torques.

Recovery of walking function is a vital goal of post-stroke rehabilitation. Cueing using audio metronomes has been shown to improve gait, but can be impractical when interacting with others, particularly outdoors where awareness of vehicles and bicycles is essential. Audio is also unsuitable in environments with high background noise, or for those...

Objectives: Given the importance of vision in the control of walking and evidence indicating varied practice of walking improves mobility outcomes, this study sought to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of varied walking practice in response to visual cues, for the rehabilitation of walking following stroke. Design: This 3 arm par...

Background The differential contributions of the cerebellum and parietal lobe to coordination between hand transport and hand shaping to an object have not been clearly identified. Objective To contrast impairments in reach-to-grasp coordination, in response to object location perturbation, in patients with right parietal and cerebellar lesions, i...

Perception is linked to action via two routes: a direct route based on affordance information in the environment and an indirect route based on semantic knowledge about objects. The present study explored the factors modulating the recruitment of the two routes, in particular which factors affecting the selection of paired objects. In Experiment 1,...

We assessed the factors which affect the selection of objects for action, focusing on the role of action knowledge and its modulation by distracters. Fourteen neuropsychological patients and 10 healthy aged-matched controls selected pairs of objects commonly used together among distracters in two contexts: with real objects and with pictures of the...

PurposeWe aimed to quantify the benefit of externally provided deliberately light interpersonal touch (IPT) on body sway in neurological patients.DesignIPT effect on sway was assessed experimentally across differing contacting conditions in a group of 12 patients with Parkinson's disease and a group of 11 patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke.Me...

Timing variation in small group musical performance results from intentional, expressive, and unintentional, error components in individual player timing. These timing fluctuations produce variability in between-player note asynchrony and require timing adjustments to keep the ensemble together. The size of the adjustments relative to the asynchron...

The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigates the neural correlates of reachability judgements. In a block design experiment, 14 healthy participants judged whether a visual target presented at different distances in a virtual environment display was reachable or not with the right hand. In two control tasks, they judg...

The CogLaboration project (http://coglaboration.eu/) was launched in 2011, as part of the EU FT7-ICT agenda for the development of service robot-ics and focuses on the fluent handover of objects between a robot and a human, which is considered to be a key requirement for providing successful and effi-cient robotic assistance to humans. The project...

This article presents the design and execution of the experiments used to develop and evaluate a robot prototype system for fluent Human-Robot object handover interactions. A key aspect of our experimental methodology is the deep integration between Human-Robot and Human-Human object handover experiments. This provides a solid baseline and knowledg...

Here we present a questionnaire-based study of concerns and requirements relating to object transfer tasks in daily living and the associated skills that will be required from service robots. The questionnaire was especially designed for application to elderly populations, who have been identified as a potential primary user group in many service r...

This study investigated the effect of a panel of judges on the movements and postures of cellists in performance. Twenty four expert cellists played a short piece of music, to a metronome beat, in the presence and absence of the panel. Kinematic analyses showed that in the presence of the panel the temporal execution of left arm shifting movements...

Temporal coordination between members of a string quartet performing an excerpt of a Haydn string quartet was characterized in terms of patterns of dependence between player note onset times estimated from acoustic data, and compared to self-reported patterns of dependence between players. Audio onsets revealed temporal dependencies indicative of a...

Many everyday skilled actions depend on moving in time with signals that are embedded in complex auditory streams (e.g. musical performance, dancing or simply holding a conversation). Such behaviour is apparently effortless; however, it is not known how humans combine auditory signals to support movement production and coordination. Here, we test h...

Temporal coordination between members of a string quartet was investigated across repeated performances of an excerpt of Haydn’s string quartet in G Major, Op. 77 No. 1. Cross-correlations between interbeat intervals of performances at different lags showed a unidirectional dependence of Viola on Violin I, and of Violin I on Cello. Bidirectional de...

The integration of rehabilitation systems in an ambient assisted living environment can provide a powerful and versatile tool for long-term stroke rehabilitation goals. This paper introduces a novel concept of a personalized cognitive rehabilitation system in a naturalistic setting. The proposed platform was developed within the CogWatch project, w...

Apraxia and Action disorganization Syndrome are common late effect of cerebrovascular disease. Both disorders affect the cognitive abilities of stroke survivors, causing dependence in the execution of daily living activities. Occupational and physical therapy are the most effective treatment for the rehabilitation, while nowadays there are not avai...

Many everyday skilled actions depend on moving in time with signals that are embedded in complex auditory streams (e.g. musical performance, dancing or simply holding a conversation). Such behaviour is apparently effortless; however, it is not known how humans combine auditory signals to support movement production and coordination. Here, we test h...

Recovery of walking function is a major goal of post-stroke rehabilitation. Audio metronomic cueing has been shown to improve gait, but can be impractical and inconvenient to use in a community setting, for example outdoors where awareness of traffic is needed, as well as being unsuitable in environments with high background noise, or for those wit...

Control of relative timing is critical in ensemble music performance. We hypothesize that players respond to and correct asynchronies in tone onsets that arise from fluctuations in their individual tempos. We propose a first-order linear phase correction model and demonstrate that optimal performance that minimizes asynchrony variance predicts a sp...

Control of relative timing is critical in ensemble music performance. We hypothesize that players respond to and correct asynchronies in tone onsets that arise from fluctuations in their individual tempos. We propose a first-order linear phase correction model and demonstrate that optimal performance that minimizes asynchrony variance predicts a sp...

In current society there is a growing call for robotic platforms designed to provide direct assistance to humans within the near future. An essential requirement, if robots are to become accepted as service providers that interact directly with humans, is that the human-robot interactions must not only be safe and reliable, but also produce a satis...

Hemiparetic gait due to stroke is characterized by temporal asymmetry and variability. Research shows this can be improved by auditory cueing, whereby participants train to step in time and space with a visual or auditory cue. This particular method is effective in training a symmetrical gait and helps to improve coordination and speed. We describe...

There is a lack of reliable models of dynamic loading of civil engineering structures, such as footbridges, floors and grandstands, due to active groups and crowds of people. The key reason for this is the lack of knowledge on coordination of body motion between multiple individuals walking, running, jumping and bouncing in groups of various sizes....

Social groups frequently engage in activities, which involve coordination of timing between group members. In many such activities, success depends on tightly synchronised timing. In some cases, for example, in rowing eights, timing is not the goal of the endeavour, yet each individual participant's timing is still closely linked to the timing of t...