BIOMIMETICS AND PROPORTIONAL NOISE IN MOTOR CONTROL

Christopher M. Harris

2008

Abstract

Proportional noise, in which the standard deviation of signal noise is proportional to signal mean, is a fundamental constraint on human motor performance but why it occurs is unknown. We show that for neural networks with binary thresholded units, channel capacity is maximised with a recruitment strategy that produces PN. The size principle also emerges, in agreement with observation. We therefore argue that Fitt’s law, speed-accuracy trade-off, and the minimum variance trajectories (including minimum jerk trajectories for limiting brief movements), which are observed in most human point-to-point movements, have evolved as optimal strategies resulting from maximising channel capacity. We conclude that biomimicry of minimum variance and minimum jerk trajectories in robotics is probably only of aesthetic value when using standard technology. In contrast, biomimicry using neuromorphic technology in which networks are built from stochastic silicon ‘neurons’ with thresholds, is functional biomimetics and optimization of channel capacity will produce behaviours that are human-like.

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Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

M. Harris C. (2008). BIOMIMETICS AND PROPORTIONAL NOISE IN MOTOR CONTROL . In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 2: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2008) ISBN 978-989-8111-18-0, pages 37-43. DOI: 10.5220/0001057100370043


in Bibtex Style

@conference{biosignals08,
author={Christopher M. Harris},
title={BIOMIMETICS AND PROPORTIONAL NOISE IN MOTOR CONTROL},
booktitle={Proceedings of the First International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 2: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2008)},
year={2008},
pages={37-43},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0001057100370043},
isbn={978-989-8111-18-0},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 2: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2008)
TI - BIOMIMETICS AND PROPORTIONAL NOISE IN MOTOR CONTROL
SN - 978-989-8111-18-0
AU - M. Harris C.
PY - 2008
SP - 37
EP - 43
DO - 10.5220/0001057100370043