Dr Anna Metzger - Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages

Biography

Since 2021 I'm a Lecturer at Bournemouth University. I studied Biology (BSc) in Hanover (Germany) and Cognitive Science (MSc) in Osnabrück (Germany). I worked with Peter König on a computational model of visual attention in my master thesis. After my graduation (2010) I worked in a company conducting applied research on human computer interaction. In 2014 I started my PhD in Giessen (Germany) on the integration of information in haptic perception with Knut Drewing. In 2017 I completed the PhD and was awarded the title Dr. rer. nat. I was on maternal leave after the PhD defence and until 2018, afterwards I continued to work in Giessen as a PostDoc. In this time I had the chance to collaborate with Matteo Toscani on unsupervised learning of haptic material properties, with Matteo Valcecchi on characterising movements in haptic exploration similar to peripheral vision and foveation in visual perception, with Katja Fiehler on neural correlates of haptic perception, with Bianca Jovanovic on haptic exploration in infants and with Arash Akbarinia on a DNN model of haptic saliency.

Research

I investigate visual and haptic perception. I am particularly interested in the haptic and multisensory exploration and perception of object shape and material properties. My main research question is how is exploration of objects guided and how are representations of their properties reconstructed from the serial and multimodal input? In my research I use motion- and eye-tracking techniques, psychophysics, computational modelling and virtual and augmented reality setups.

Favourites

Metzger, A. and Toscani, M., 2022. Unsupervised learning of haptic material properties. eLife, 11.
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Akbarinia, A., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2021. Deep neural network model of haptic saliency. Scientific Reports, 11 (1).
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Mueller, S., de Haas, B., Metzger, A., Drewing, K. and Fiehler, K., 2019. Neural correlates of top‐down modulation of haptic shape versus roughness perception. 40(18), 5172-5184. Human Brain Mapping, 40 (18), 5172-5184.
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Metzger, A., Lezkan, A. and Drewing, K., 2018. Integration of serial sensory information in haptic perception of softness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44 (4), 551-565.
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Journal Articles

Metzger, A., Ennis, R.J., Doerschner, K. and Toscani, M., 2024. Perceptual task drives later fixations and long latency saccades, while early fixations and short latency saccades are more automatic. Perception, 53 (8), 501-511.
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2022. Effects of Stimulus Exploration Length and Time on the Integration of Information in Haptic Softness Discrimination. IEEE Transactions on Haptics, 12 (4), 451-460.
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Metzger, A. and Toscani, M., 2022. Unsupervised learning of haptic material properties. eLife, 11.
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Akbarinia, A., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2021. Deep neural network model of haptic saliency. Scientific Reports, 11 (1).
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2021. Target Search and Inspection Strategies in Haptic Search. IEEE Transactions on Haptics, 14 (4), 804-815.
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Mueller, S., de Haas, B., Metzger, A., Drewing, K. and Fiehler, K., 2019. Neural correlates of top‐down modulation of haptic shape versus roughness perception. 40(18), 5172-5184. Human Brain Mapping, 40 (18), 5172-5184.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2019. Memory influences haptic perception of softness. Scientific Reports, 9.
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Metzger, A., Mueller, S., Fiehler, K. and Drewing, K., 2019. Top-down modulation of shape and roughness discrimination in active touch by covert attention. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, 81, 462-475.
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Lezkan, A., Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2018. Active Haptic Exploration of Softness: Indentation Force Is Systematically Related to Prediction, Sensation and Motivation. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 12.
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Metzger, A., Lezkan, A. and Drewing, K., 2018. Integration of serial sensory information in haptic perception of softness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44 (4), 551-565.
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- view in BU repository

Books

Polkinghorne, M. et al., 2023. Fusion Learning Conference 2023 - Proceedings. Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 5BB: Bournemouth University.
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Conferences

Jeschke, M., Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2025. Humans Terminate Their Haptic Explorations According to an Interplay of Task Demands and Motor Effort. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 14768 LNCS, 82-93.
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Metzger, A., Lotz, A. and Drewing, K., 2022. Neutral Point in Haptic Perception of Softness. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 13235 LNCS, 57-65.
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Toscani, M. and Metzger, A., 2022. A Database of Vibratory Signals from Free Haptic Exploration of Natural Material Textures and Perceptual Judgments (ViPer): Analysis of Spectral Statistics. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 13235 LNCS, 319-327.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2021. A Kalman filter model for predicting discrimination performance in free and restricted haptic explorations. In: IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2021 6-9 July 2021 Montreal, Canada. , 439-444.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2020. Switching Between Objects Improves Precision in Haptic Perception of Softness. In: EuroHaptics 2020 6-9 September 2020 Leiden, The Netherlands. (eds) Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications. EuroHaptics 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12272. Springer, Cham..
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2019. Dynamics of exploration in haptic search. 2019 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2019, 277-282.
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Metzger, A., Toscani, M., Valsecchi, M. and Drewing, K., 2018. Haptic saliency model for rigid textured surfaces. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 10893 LNCS, 389-400.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2017. The longer the first stimulus is explored in softness discrimination the longer it can be compared to the second one. In: 2017 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) 6-9 June 2017 Munich, Germany. , 31 IEEE.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2016. Haptic Aftereffect of Softness. In: EuroHaptics 2016 4-7 July 2016 London, UK. Bello, F., Kajimoto, H., Visell, Y. (eds) Haptics: Perception, Devices, Control, and Applications. EuroHaptics 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9774, 23-32 Springer, Cham.
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Metzger, A. and Drewing, K., 2015. Haptically perceived softness of deformable stimuli can be manipulated by applying external forces during the exploration. In: 2015 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) 22-26 June 2015 Chicago, USA. , 75 IEEE.
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Profile of Teaching PG

L7 (2022-present): Brain Structure & Function
L7 (2022-present): Experimental Design in Cognitive Neuroscience

Profile of Teaching UG

L4 (2022-present): Biological & Cognitive Psychology
L4 (2022-present): Critically evaluating psychology: past & present
L5 (2022-presnet): Statistics & Research Methods (unit lead)

Invited Lectures

Pi-Lab talk, Delft (The Netherlands), 25 Jan 2022 more

Information selection and encoding in haptic perception of material surfaces.
University of Virginia, School of Engineering, Virginia (USA), 12 Nov 2021 more

Information selection and encoding in haptic perception of material surfaces.
Satellite symposium on haptic science, Tokyo (Japan), 13 Jul 2019 more

Integration of sensory information and exploratory movements in active touch

Grants

Grants

Synthesising Haptic Textures through Unsupervised Learning (British Academy, 01 May 2024). In Progress
Perception of objects’ 3D shape – from active sensing to multisensory representations (Royal Society, 01 Mar 2024). In Progress

External Responsibilities

Eurohaptics Conference, Associate Editor (2020-)
IEEE Transactions on Haptics, Associate Editor (2019-)
Haptic Symposium, Reviewer (2015-)
Eurohaptics Conference, Reviewer (2015-)
World Haptics Conference, Reviewer (2014-)
Scientific Reports, Reviewer
IEEE Transactions on Applied Perception, Reviewer
IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, Reviewer
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, Reviewer
Multisensory Research, Reviewer
Journal of Vision, Reviewer
i-Perception, Reviewer
Perception, Reviewer
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Reviewer

Internal Responsibilities

Head, Attention, Memory & Perception Research Group

Conference Presentations

Colour and Material Perception, Disambiguation of depth by touch influences lightness perception, 22 Mar 2024, Saitama (Japan)
Eurohaptics Conference, Neutral Point in Haptic Perception of Softness, 22 May 2022, Hamburg (Germany)
IEEE World Haptics Conference, A Kalman filter model for predicting discrimination performance in free and restricted haptic explorations, 06 Jul 2021, Toronto (Canada, virtual)
VSS, Perceptual haptic representation of materials emerges from efficient encoding., 21 May 2021, St. Pete Beach (Florida, USA, virtual)
Conference of Experimental Psychologists, Deep neural network model of haptic saliency., 14 Mar 2021, Ulm (Germany, virtual)
Eurohaptics Conference, Switching between objects improves precision in haptic perception of softness., 06 Sep 2020, Leiden (The Netherlands, virtual)
VSS, Foveation-like behavior in human haptic search., 19 Jun 2020, St. Pete Beach (Florida, USA, virtual)
European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP), Haptic Perception of Softness Is Influenced by Memory., 26 Aug 2019, Trieste (Italy)
IEEE World Haptics Conference, Dynamics of exploration in haptic search., 09 Jul 2019, Tokyo (Japan)
Eurohaptics Conference, Haptic Saliency Model for Rigid Textured Surfaces., 13 Jun 2018, Pisa (Italy)
IEEE World Haptics Conference, The longer the first stimulus is explored in softness discrimination the longer it can be compared to the second one., 05 Jun 2017, Fürstenfeldbruck (Munich, Germany)
Conference of Experimental Psychologists, Serial integration of information in haptic softness perception., 26 Mar 2017, Dresden (Germany)
European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP), Adaptation to softness in haptic perception., 28 Aug 2016, Barcelona (Spain)
Eurohaptics Conference, Haptic Aftereffect of Softness., 04 Jul 2016, London (UK)
IEEE World Haptics Conference, Haptically perceived softness of deformable stimuli can be manipulated by applying external forces during the exploration., 22 Jun 2015, Chicago (USA)

Attended Training

Summer School Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience, 29 Jun 2015

Honours

Honours

Best paper award (1000€) (Eurohaptics Society, 2018)

Website Links

Website Links

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rIpBeN8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao