OPTIC FLOW AND THE KINEMATICS OF EYE-MOVEMENTS

For optimal pursuit of a visual target one should avoid rotation about the line of sight. It is shown that the structure of the optic flow d uring self-motion imposes certain restrictions on eye and head orienta tion as a function of the gaze direction, if rotation of the eye about the line of sight is avoided. These restrictions result in different strategies for optimal pursuit. Directing the head towards the aim poi nt of the self-motion in combination with the well known kinematic con straint on eye movement (Listing's law) is one such possibility.