Let Us Dance Just a Little Bit More --- On the Information Capacity of the Human Motor System

TL;DR

This paper extends Fitts' law by developing an information-theoretic measure to evaluate the capacity of the human motor system in complex, unconstrained movements like dance, using motion-capture data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel information-theoretic framework for assessing human motor capacity beyond aimed movements, applicable to complex activities such as dance and sports.

Findings

New measure successfully applied to dance movements

Framework captures motor capacity in unconstrained activities

Potential for broader applications in sports and rehabilitation

Abstract

Fitts' law is a fundamental tool in measuring the capacity of the human motor system. However, it is, by definition, limited to aimed movements toward spatially expanded targets. We revisit its information-theoretic basis with the goal of generalizing it into unconstrained trained movement such as dance and sports. The proposed new measure is based on a subject's ability to accurately reproduce a complex movement pattern. We demonstrate our framework using motion-capture data from professional dance performances.