In the present series of experiments we investigated how object transport and rotate movements are performed when they are
directed away from (Experiment 1) and toward (Experiment 2) the body under both unimanual and bimanual conditions. Our results
indicated that unimanual conditions are faster and more efficiently produced than bimanual movements in far peripersonal space,
suggesting that there is a cost to performing bimanual movements. However, in near peripersonal space, bimanual same movements
were performed in a manner similar to unimanual movements, indicating that there is no significant cost associated with similar
bimanual movements that are performed using the lower visual field and in near peripersonal space. Both experiments also indicate
that the two hands are tightly synchronized when the two movements being performed require the same rotation. However, when
performing bimanual movements where the rotation being performed by the two hands is different, this synchronization is weaker.
Finally, the combined results from the two experiments indicated that movements made toward the body are not performed in
a similar manner to movements that are made away from the body. Specifically, it is clear from the current studies that movements
toward the body are performed faster and possibly that the hands are less synchronized for bimanual movements requiring different
rotations by the two hands.
Keywords Bimanual coordination - Rotation - Orientation - Peripersonal - Extrapersonal