title: Inverse biomimetics: how robots can help to verify concepts concerning sensorimotor control of human arm and leg movements.
abstract: Simulation test, hardware test and behavioral comparison test are proposed to experimentally verify whether a technical control concept for limb movements is logically precise, physically sound, and biologically relevant. Thereby, robot test-beds may play an integral part by mimicking functional limb movements. The procedure is exemplarily demonstrated for human aiming movements with the forearm: when comparing competitive control concepts, these movements are described best by a spring-like operating muscular-skeletal device which is assisted by feedforward control through an inverse internal model of the limb--without regress to a forward model of the limb. In a perspective on hopping, the concept of exploitive control is addressed, and its comparison to concepts derived from classical control theory advised.
authors: Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, Duesseldorf, Germany. kalveram@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors: Karl Theodor
authors: KT
authors: Kalveram
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Seyfarth
mesh_terms: D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005246:Feedback; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation