Dec. 2., 2011 | 05:05 pm
No:: bax55hqy8dlb
General tau theory deals with the guidance of bodily movements. All movements of the body, and within the body, require guided closure of action-gaps. An action-gap, generally defined, is the changing gap between a current state and a goal state. Examples are the distance action-gap between the hand and an object, when reaching, the optical action-gap between the images of the hand and target object, the suction action-gap when a baby is drawing in milk, and the pitch action-gap when a singer is sliding between notes. The tau of an action-gap is the time-to-closure of the action-gap, i.e., the current size of the action-gap divided by its current rate of closure. Tau-coupling means keeping the taus of two action-gaps in constant ratio during a movement.
The theory was developed from work on J. J. Gibson's notion of ecological invariants in the visual flow-field during a perception-in-action event, and subsequently generalised in the late 1990s to a ubiquitous, amodal theory of perceptuomotor control.
General tau theory considers the organism acting as a unified whole in dynamic relations with its environment, rather than conceiving of the organism as a complex mechanical device reducible into analysable parts. The theory is firmly embedded in ecological thinking, paying attention to both organism and environment, and drawing information from their forms of interaction. Indeed, generalised tau theory has been developed by thinking specifically about the relational, or ecological invariants in engagements between organism and environment. This whole-systems approach is both ethically satisfying and intellectually illuminating to the extent that it offers not only insight into the nature of living, but also offers pragmatic, human benefits in both designing our constructed world (e.g. in cockpit design) and in therapy of movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's Disease).
The theory was developed from work on J. J. Gibson's notion of ecological invariants in the visual flow-field during a perception-in-action event, and subsequently generalised in the late 1990s to a ubiquitous, amodal theory of perceptuomotor control.
General tau theory considers the organism acting as a unified whole in dynamic relations with its environment, rather than conceiving of the organism as a complex mechanical device reducible into analysable parts. The theory is firmly embedded in ecological thinking, paying attention to both organism and environment, and drawing information from their forms of interaction. Indeed, generalised tau theory has been developed by thinking specifically about the relational, or ecological invariants in engagements between organism and environment. This whole-systems approach is both ethically satisfying and intellectually illuminating to the extent that it offers not only insight into the nature of living, but also offers pragmatic, human benefits in both designing our constructed world (e.g. in cockpit design) and in therapy of movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's Disease).