Research in the Cyberneum

The research in the Cyberneum focused on the integration of information from the visual, haptic and balance senses and on the development of efficient algorithms for building assistant systems to help the aging society to cope with the challenges of the decline with age in perceptual and cognitive capabilities. Unique motion simulators have therefore been developed and used.

Traditional psychophysics methods were combined with the most up-to-date computer graphics and Virtual Reality systems to understand the “algorithms of perception”. Psychophysics addressed the mathematical description of associations between physical stimuli and the perceptions they trigger in humans. The use of computer simulations and realistic virtual environments to carry out psychophysical experiments maximized the possibility of dynamic feedback and interactivity. At the same time, this approach allowed complete control over all the aspects of the simulation to reach accurate conclusions about human perception.

Motion Perception & Simulation

Perceiving how we are oriented and how we move through our surroundings is fundamental to human behavior; it allows us to anchor ourselves and to determine possibilities for interactions with the world. In the Motion Perception & Simulation group, we work to achieve a comprehensive understanding of these percepts. [more]

Cybernetics Background

Here you can find some background information about cybernetics: [more]

Completed Projects

Prof. Heinrich Bülthoff was Director of the Department "Perception, Cognition and Action" at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics from 1993 to 2018 and now continues his research with a small group in the Cyberneum. Some of the projects completed during this time are listed below: [more]