Review of models for the generation of multi-joint movements in 3-D

Most studies in motor control have focused on movements in two dimensions and only very few studies have systematically investigated movements in three dimensions. As a consequence, the large majority of modeling studies for motor control have tested the predictions of these models using movement data in 2D. As we will explain, movements in 3D cannot be understood from movements in 2D by adding just another dimension. The third dimension adds new and unexpected complexities. In this chapter we will explore the frames of reference, which are used in mapping sensory information about movement targets into motor commands and muscle activation patterns. Moreover, we will make a quantitative comparison between the predictions of various models in the literature with the outcome of 3D movement experiments. Quite surprisingly, none of the existing models is able to explain the data in different movement paradigms.