The importance of controllability in dynamic movement training

D. Despotova, P. Kiriazov, G. Nikolova

Abstract: Motion performance optimisation is needed in various daily life and sport activities, especially for people with movement disorders due to stroke, trauma, or neurological diseases. The main performance indices are motion/posture 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. With given motion task, it is of primary importance to study the controllability of the corresponding controlled system, before trying to optimize the performance criteria. 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 (control inputs) that mostly contribute to the dynamic performance in this task. The proposed approach for control 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.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.30, No.4 (2016), 18-23

Keywords: controllability; Multi-segmental dynamics; optimality

Date published: 2017-02-03