Cognitive Neuroscience
Spatial Navigation
Discover the Science of Navigation: A Glimpse into Our Research
At our lab, we explore how humans navigate the world around them. Our focus is on understanding the processes behind path integration—how we keep track of where we are as we move through space—and the errors that can occur during this process. We study these mechanisms through a variety of exciting tasks, such as triangle completion, where participants navigate and make decisions based on visual cues.
We’ve worked with virtual environments in different settings, from traditional PC setups to immersive experiences using VR glasses, both while sitting and walking around. By manipulating environmental factors like local landmarks (things close by) and distant cues (like the sun or a mountain on the horizon), we explore how they influence navigation and the errors we make while navigating. Our current projects dive deeper into how these different cues combine and shape our sense of direction.
We are also expanding our research to include EEG (brainwave monitoring) to better understand the neural activity involved in navigation. By combining these tools, we aim to uncover more about how our brains process space and movement, helping us get closer to understanding the fundamental mechanisms of navigation.