Dennis M. Shaffer

The Ohio State University at Mansfield, Arizona State University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dennis M. Shaffer’s research lies at the fascinating intersection of visual perception, motor control, and consciousness, with a particular focus on how humans interact with dynamic environments. His most impactful work explores the geometry underlying conscious experience, as detailed in his 2018 paper “The geometry of consciousness” (9 citations), where he proposes novel frameworks for understanding spatial awareness. Shaffer is perhaps best known for his pioneering contributions to the study of baseball outfielding, using robotic simulations to compare active versus passive ball-catching control algorithms (2010, 7 citations). This work critically examined established theories—such as optical acceleration cancellation (OAC) and linear optical trajectory (LOT)—demonstrating how players determine where to run to catch fly balls. By integrating computational modeling with behavioral experiments, Shaffer has advanced our understanding of the visual control variables guiding complex motor tasks. His interdisciplinary approach, blending psychology, physics, and robotics, has made his research highly influential among students and researchers studying perception-action coupling. Though his citation counts are modest, the conceptual depth of his work continues to inspire new investigations into the geometry of perception and the algorithms underlying skilled human performance.