Cite as:
Louw S, Brenner E, Smeets J, 2004, "How visually perceived surface slant influences the way we put objects on the surface" Perception 33 ECVP Abstract Supplement

How visually perceived surface slant influences the way we put objects on the surface

S Louw, E Brenner, J Smeets

In order to place an object gently on a surface, it is obviously advantageous to place it perpendicularly to the surface at the moment of contact. Here, we examined whether placing an object on a surface could be controlled exclusively by two more-or-less independent actions: orienting the object so that it is perpendicular to the surface, and transporting it to the desired position on that surface. In particular, we examined whether the path also depends on the surface's orientation. Subjects were asked to place a flat cylinder (like the lid of a jar) at an indicated position on a slanted surface. We measured the position and orientation of the cylinder throughout the movement. The orientation of the cylinder in the final part of the movement was approximately perpendicular to the surface slant. The approach angle of the path does not only depend on the final position, but also on the slant at that position. For a given surface slant, the approach angle and the orientation of the cylinder were not related. This suggests that the path of the cylinder and its orientation are independently influenced by the surface slant.

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