Participants of this experiment are seated, have the eyes covered with a blindfold, and a headset playing a continuous quiet noise to isolate them from external distractions. They are asked to make small pointing movements at a steady pace with their hand using a robotic device in front of them.
Their movements are mirrored by another robotic device placed behind them, and they feel a gentle touch on their back from a foam-covered rod. Participants are asked to do these movements repeatedly for several minutes. At the end of each part of the experiment, they are asked questions about how they felt during the experiment.
In another stage of this research, some participants are asked to lie in the scanner (MRI) and images of their brain activity is taken at rest, eyes closed.