Catching Objects Thrown to Oneself: Testing Control Strategies for Object Interception in a Novel Domain

Abstract

A considerable amount of research has been performed to determine the strategies people use to intercept moving objects. Much of this research has been done using target objects such as baseballs and Frisbees that are launched to people from distances ranging from 10 m to 50 m. This research has qualified the range of domains in which each strategy is effective, but there is still controversy regarding which strategy has the most general application. The present research sought to further reduce the range of possible domains in which these strategies work by testing object interception in a situation that had never been tested before, where people launch the target objects to themselves. A strategy based on controlling optical velocity—acting to keep the optical velocity of the object at zero—provided the best match to catcher ground movements and optical trajectories. These results suggest that control of optical velocity is currently the best explanation of effective interception of both other- and self-launched objects.