Modeling and Analysis of Biologically Inspired Motor Control

The Problem: How does the human neural circuitry control posture and voluntary movements? Humans are equipped with an amazing repertoire of motor skills. Despite being outfitted with what by many engineering criterion are noisy signals, slow computation times, devastating transmission delays and marginal actuators, the human system exhibits motor control and motor learning that far surpass our best engineering efforts. We seek a better understanding of how this is accomplished. Motivation: With a clear understanding of human motor control circuitry the benefits afforded will be widespread. For instance, insight into human motor disorders and their possible treatment, as well as a basis for development of advanced neurological diagnostic techniques should become available. Similarly, this knowledge will provide a framework for implementing biomimetic control systems. In addition, control systems might be had that compliment the aptitudes of natural human motor control with the resources of modern control theory. Previous Work: Many researchers have investigated both biologically plausible or motivated control systems and human neuro-motor pathways [1, 2, 3]. In regards to the former, many have focused on the role of internal dynamic models, their acquisition and role in motor control and motor learning. In regards to the latter, there exists a wealth of empirical data and hypothesis as to the many neural pathways and cortical areas involved in motor control. Great gains have been made in both approaches, but human motor control awaits a unifying cogent theory