Optic flow density modulates corner-cutting in a virtual steering task for younger and older adults

Giguere, Arianna P.; Huxlin, Krystel R.; Tadin, Duje; Fajen, Brett R.; Diaz, Gabriel J. · 2024 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-78645-3

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Summary

This study investigates how age-related changes in visual motion processing, specifically the perception of optic flow, influence steering behavior in driving contexts. Motivated by rising accident rates among older adults and the known role of optic flow in navigation control, the researchers sought to determine if aging impairs the ability to use visual motion cues for steering. The study hypothesized that age-related deficits in processing optic flow would manifest as increased steering errors, particularly under conditions where flow density varies. The experiment utilized a virtual reality (VR) steering task involving 17 younger adults (mean age 21.1) and 13 older adults (mean age 57.3). Participants navigated a procedurally generated, single-lane winding road at a constant speed of 19 m/s. The experimental design systematically manipulated three variables: optic flow density (low, medium, high), turn radius (35, 55, 75 meters), and turn direction (left, right). Optic flow density was controlled by altering the texture of the environment, ranging from a blank ground plane (low) to dense fields of triangles and vegetation (high). Steering bias was measured as the distance from the participant’s head to the inner road edge, capturing the tendency to "cut corners." Additionally, eye-tracking data was collected to analyze gaze behavior and determine if age-related steering differences stemmed from distinct visual sampling strategies. The results indicated that all participants cut corners, but this behavior was significantly modulated by optic flow density. Participants cut corners less when the environment provided rotational flow from distant landmarks and lacked proximal optic flow. Crucially, the study found no significant interaction between age and optic flow density. While older adults cut corners more than younger adults across all conditions, their steering performance did not degrade disproportionately as flow density changed. Furthermore, the exploratory gaze analysis revealed no age-related differences in gaze behavior, suggesting that older adults did not employ different visual scanning strategies to compensate for potential visual deficits. The findings suggest that the processing of naturalistic optic flow stimuli for steering control is preserved with age. Despite older adults exhibiting greater corner-cutting overall, their ability to utilize optic flow cues remains intact, challenging the notion that age-related declines in low-level visual functions necessarily impair complex motion processing in driving. This implies that interventions aimed at improving older driver safety may need to look beyond basic visual acuity or motion perception deficits, as the core visual mechanisms for steering guidance appear robust in older populations.

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Topics

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• perception action locomotion
• age related perceptual decline