Three studies were conducted. Two of the studies performed distortions within two different virtual reality environments. Another study was the development of a novel robotic interface for making one of these studies possible. Lastly, preliminary evidence was collected on the effects of distortions on stroke patients. The purpose of these studies was to determine whether observed adaptation patterns from haptic-graphic interactions would be more amiable with the aid of error augmentation.

The first study indicated that subjects who received error augmentation performed better by the end of training by reaching targets more quickly, more accurately, and with more continuous movements. The environment in which the subjects trained was a paradigm similar to laparoscopic surgery, where 2 out of 3 axes were reversed. In spite of extreme sensory discordance, where large errors in movement were prevalent at the onset of training, further visual distortions persisted in facilitating more complete adaptation.

The second study utilized a methodology to develop and integrate a robot into a haptic-graphic interface. This study allowed for the completion of the third study, which required a larger virtual reality workspace and higher haptic forces. Secondary benefits may include increased access for collaboration between research labs, and decreased developmental overhead.

The third study demonstrated that subjects who received error augmentation were capable of conditioning movement variability within a region. Results indicated that error in training is permissible, so long as it does not influence performance. Stroke and traumatic brain injured patients have high variability, therefore these results may be beneficial to the rehabilitation community. Preliminary evidence has also been collected on stroke patients and results are encouraging