A flexible computer-controlled perception laboratory

Research in perception is often guided or limited by the capabilities of the laboratory. A computer-controlled perception laboratory is described that was designed to be extremely flexible at a modest cost. The laboratory permits control of onset time, offset time, and intensity of visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. The visual stimuli include single points, text, stereoscopic displays, and two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects moving in space. The design of the hardware and software and the criteria that guided our choice of this design are discussed. Finally, potential applications of this laboratory are considered.