Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Fabrication and Testing of Microfluidic Optomechanical Oscillators
Published on: May 29, 2014
Anticipation in feedback-delayed manual tracking of a chaotic oscillator
1Department of Psychology, Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, U-1020, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA. nigel.stepp@uconn.edu
Abstract:
Manual tracking of non-chaotic targets, with and without feedback delay, as well as discrete prediction of chaotic maps have each been demonstrated by humans. Feedback-delayed tracking of chaotic targets, on the other hand, has not been well investigated. To this end, 10 participants were asked to track a chaotically moving target presented on a computer display by means of controlling a similar on-screen object using a pressure sensitive tablet and hand-held stylus. The participants were given delayed visual feedback of their own movements. Task success subsequently required anticipation on the part of the participant. Using 6 values of delay from 20 ms to 1 s, evidence shows that (a) participants are able to synchronize with a chaotic target, even with some amount of applied delay, (b) task performance varies systematically with applied delay, and (c) this same systematic dependence is predicted for systems exhibiting anticipating synchronization.
Related Concept Videos
Forced Oscillations
Oscillations In An LC Circuit
RLC Circuit as a Damped Oscillator
Consider a series RLC circuit. Here, the presence of resistance in the circuit leads to energy loss due to joule heating in the resistance. Therefore, the total electromagnetic energy in the circuit is no longer constant and decreases with time. Since the magnitude of charge, current, and potential difference continuously decreases, their oscillations are said to be damped. This is...
Damped Oscillations
Although friction and other non-conservative...
Positive and Negative Feedback Loops
Root Loci for Positive-Feedback Systems
The construction rules for the root locus in positive feedback systems are similar to those in...

