The advent of mixed reality (MR) systems has revolutionized human–computer interactions by seamlessly integrating virtual elements with the real world. Devices like the HoloLens 2 (HL2) enable intuitive, hands-free interactions through advanced hand-tracking technology, making them valuable in fields such as education, healthcare, engineering, and training simulations. However, despite the growing adoption of MR, there is a noticeable lack of comprehensive comparisons between the hand-tracking accuracy of the HL2 and high-precision benchmarks like motion capture systems. Such evaluations are essential to assess the reliability of MR interactions, identify potential tracking limitations, and improve the overall precision of hand-based input in immersive applications. This study aims to assess the accuracy of HL2 in tracking hand position and measuring kinematic hand parameters, including joint angles and lateral pinch span (distance between thumb and index fingertips), using its tracking data. To achieve this, the Vicon motion capture system (VM) was used as a gold-standard reference. Three tasks were designed: (1) finger tracing of a 2D pattern in 3D space, (2) grasping various common objects, and (3) lateral pinching of objects with varying sizes. Task 1 tests fingertip tracking, Task 2 evaluates joint angle accuracy, and Task 3 examines the accuracy of pinch span measurement. In all tasks, HL2 and VM simultaneously recorded hand positions and movements. The data captured in Task 1 were analyzed to evaluate HL2’s hand-tracking capabilities against VM. Finger rotation angles from Task 2 and lateral pinch span from Task 3 were then used to assess HL2’s accuracy compared to VM. The results indicate that the HL2 exhibits millimeter-level errors compared to Vicon’s tracking system in Task 1, spanning in a range from 2 mm to 4 mm, suggesting that HL2’s hand-tracking system demonstrates good accuracy. Additionally, the reconstructed grasping positions in Task 2 from both systems show a strong correlation and an average error of 5°, while in Task 3, the accuracy of the HL2 is comparable to that of VM, improving performance as the object thickness increases.

Serial dependence biases current perception based on recent experiences, creating continuity in subjective experience. Although extensively studied in vision across tasks such as numerosity, orientation discrimination, and attractiveness, its effect on visual time perception remains partially unexplored. Here, we investigated serial dependence in visual temporal perception, using two common tasks: temporal interval duration discrimination and temporal reproduction. In the discrimination task, participants judged whether the second of three visual stimuli was longer or shorter than the third, with the first stimulus being irrelevant, to induce serial dependence on the second stimulus. In the temporal reproduction task, participants were asked to reproduce an interval presented between two visual stimuli by pressing a button. Given the debate concerning the origin of the serial dependence effect and possible relation with memory processing, we also investigated the relationship between serial dependence and working memory capacity using a Corsi test. Our results showed that serial dependence does occur in visual time perception, but no relationship was found between the effect of the two tasks and memory retention capacity. The lack of correlation between serial dependence effects suggests that different processes may be involved in serial dependence across the two types of tasks.

Structuring sensory events in time is essential for interacting with the environment and producing adaptive behaviors. Over the past years, the microstructure of temporality received increasing attention, recognized as a fundamental factor influencing cognitive, affective, and social abilities, whose alteration can underlie the etiopathogeneses of some clinical symptoms in psychiatric disorders. The present research investigated multisensory temporal processing in individuals with schizophrenia (N = 21), bipolar disorder (N = 20) and healthy controls (N = 21) in order to explore a plausible link between multisensory alterations in the temporal order of events and the psychopathological dimensions underlying psychosis. We asked participants to temporally order audio-tactile, visual-tactile, and audio-visual stimuli, and we administered different psychopathological scales to explore depressive, manic and psychotic symptoms. Results demonstrated that both subjects with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are less precise in temporal order judgment independently of the sensory modalities involved. Interestingly, reduced precision in temporal processing of patients is positively associated with the presence and severity of positive symptoms. Our findings support the hypothesis that low-level sensory alterations in temporal structure may contribute to the emergence of clinical symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized behaviors.

The perception of temporal correspondence between sensory signals from body movements and those arising through environmental interactions is crucial for multisensory integration and adaptive behavior. In adults, the perception of multisensory temporal alignment is more accurate during active than passive or no movement. Currently, it is not known whether this is the case in children. Thus, we used an audiotactile temporal order judgment task (TOJ) to investigate multisensory temporal perception during active and passive arm movement in 6 to11‐year‐old blindfolded children ( N = 87). Results indicated that temporal precision during active movement improved relative to passive movement only in younger children (6‐year‐olds). The active‐passive difference diminished with age, with precision in the passive condition improving. Conversely, the temporal bias developed similarly in active and passive conditions, showing an age‐related decrease, whereby tactile stimuli must precede auditory ones to be perceived as simultaneous. The study suggests that the maturation of the audiotactile temporal perception during movement involves two distinct mechanisms: an early sensorimotor integration of predicted sensory feedback and a faster‐developing multisensory integration aligned with kinesthetic feedback, each following different developmental trajectories. Summary: We proposed a task to study whether active and passive movements affect temporal perception of audiotactile stimuli in children. Temporal precision increased during the active than passive movement in younger children (6‐year‐old). The active‐passive difference diminished with age, with precision in the passive condition improving. The maturation of the audio‐tactile perception during movement involves the sensorimotor and multisensory integration mechanisms with two different developmental trajectories.

Serial dependence (SD) is a phenomenon where current perceptions are biased toward previous ones, promoting stability over time. While SD has been originally studied in vision, it has recently been shown to occur in other sensory modalities, like hearing. Given its relative novelty, the mechanisms underlying auditory SD are still to be explored, particularly regarding how the characteristics of a stimulus, or its position in time, may or may not affect current perception. To shed light on the theme, we designed a series of temporal discrimination tasks in which participants judged whether the first of three sounds was longer than the third, with the second one serving as an inducer to elicit SD. In separate conditions, we directly manipulated both the stimulus type, using full or empty intervals, and the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) between the inducer and the third stimulus. Overall, our results suggest that SD can also be observed in the auditory timing domain. Interestingly, we found evidence that performance did not differ due to the stimulus type. Conversely, varying the ISI revealed that SD was significant at the shortest ISI, while it was not significant at the longer ISI.