Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

WheelCon: A Wheel Control-Based Gaming Platform for Studying Human Sensorimotor Control
Published on: August 15, 2020
Hierarchical optimal control of redundant biomechanical systems
Weiwei Li1, Emanuel Todorov, Xiuchuan Pan
1Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Abstract:
Sensorimotor control occurs simultaneously on multiple levels. We present a general approach to designing feedback control hierarchies for redundant biomechanical systems, that approximate the (non-hierarchical) optimal control law but have much lower computational demands. The approach is applied to the task of reaching, using a detailed model of the human arm. Our hierarchy has two levels of feedback control. The high level is designed as an optimal feedback controller operating on a simplified virtual plant. The low level is responsible for transforming the dynamics of the true plant into the desired virtual dynamics. The new method may be useful not only for modelling the neural control of movement, but also for designing functional electric stimulation systems that have to achieve task goals by activating muscles in real time.
Related Concept Videos
Hierarchy of Motor Control
Controller Configurations
Control-system compensation involves various configurations, most commonly series or cascade compensation, in which the controller aligns...
Control Systems
At the heart...
Feedback control systems
Linear feedback systems are theoretical models that simplify analysis and design. These systems operate under the principle that their output is directly proportional to their input within certain ranges. For instance, an amplifier in a control system behaves linearly as long as the input signal remains within a specific range. However, most physical systems exhibit inherent nonlinearity...
Mechanical Systems
One-Degree-of-Freedom System
A one-degree-of-freedom system is defined by an independent variable that determines its state and behavior. One example of a one-degree-of-freedom system is a simple harmonic oscillator, such as a...
