Tamar Flash
Dr. Hymie Moross Professor
The main focus of my research is on
motor control in humans and robotic systems. This research combines experimental
work in human subjects with the development of mathematical models that formulate
alternative hypotheses concerning motion planning and control strategies by
the brain. This combined research helps in gaining insight into human motor
control and subserves the development of motion planning and control algorithms
for artificial robotic systems. In particular, together with colleagues I study
the principles that underlie the selection and planning of human 2D and 3D arm
movements during reaching, drawing and grasping tasks. The comparison of motor
performance in neurologically healthy human subjects with that of patients suffering
from various movement disorders contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiological
processes underlying such disorders. One of my current interests is in the topic
of motor learning in humans and in the development of learning capabilities
for robotic systems. Another current interest is in developing mathematical
formalisms based on differential geometry and Lie Algebra to investigate motion
planning strategies and motion decompositionality into elementary motor primitives
and the resolution of task and kinematic redundancy problems associated with
multi-degrees of freedom movements in biological and robotic systems. Other
current efforts are on Telerpbotic systems for robot grasping and object manipulation
based on Virtual Reality technology and a major focus, in collaboration with
neurobiologists, on the control of movement and grasping behaviors in the octopus
in an effort to develop a biologically inspired hyper-redundant flexible robotic
arm.
Recent Publications
- [with R. Sosnik, B. Hauptmann and A. Karni] When practice leads to co-articulation: the evolution of geometrically defined movement primitives. Exp. Brain Res. 156(4) (2004) 422-438.
- [with T.J. Sejnowski] Computational approaches to motor control. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 11(6) (2001) 655-662.
- [with G. Sumbre, Y. Gutfreund, G. Fiorito and B. Hochner] Control of octopus arm extension by a peripheral motor program. Science 293(5536) (2001) 1845-1848.