Biosystems Analysis: The Relationship between Direct Velocity Feedback Control and the Monosynaptic Pathway of the Central Nervous System

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the potential of biosystems analysis for engineering applications and review a control methodology which is analogous to a form of control in biological systems known as the muscle stretch reflex. The function of the muscle stretch reflex in the central nervous systems is analogous to direct velocity feedback control in electromechanical systems. If active materials such as piezoelectric ceramics or polymers are incorporated as sen soriactuators in the piezostructure design, the general architecture of the biological system can be captured as well in a physiological sense. The stretch reflex in biological systems effectively adds "damping" to motor control commands, while direct velocity feedback control serves to add damp ing to electromechanical structures upon commanding some response or in the attenuation of a structural response due to some external disturbance. The work presented in this study motivates further analysis of the central nervous system from a systemic level as opposed to a cellular level in search of simple, autonomous, adaptive control strategies.