Efficient control learning in sport and rehabilitation

D. Despotova, P. Kiriazov, G. Nikolova

Abstract: Motion performance optimisation is needed in various daily life and sport activities where the usual performance requirements are for movement accuracy, movement execution time, and energy expenditure The human musculo-skeletal system is an extremely complex dynamic system and the challenging question is how it is controlled by the central nervous system (CNS) and the human performance - optimized with respect to these complicated requirements. Besides to able-bodied individuals, we pay special attention to disabled people, and we consider how to improve their motor control and efficiently restore their motion functionality. First, a set of controlled outputs that best characterize human dynamic performance in the required motion task has to be defined.
Second, we have to find those driving forces/torques that mostly contribute to the dynamic performance in this task.
For the efficient performance optimization it is very important to know what the structure of the dynamic models is and the corresponding control functions. The proposed approach for structure identification is based on underlying
principles and advanced concepts from optimal control theory, neurophysiology, and controlled multi-segmental
dynamics. We will give several examples to explain the basic features of our generic approach.

Keywords: control optimization; goal-directed movements

Date published: 2015-06-09