Learning to manipulate a whip with simple primitive actions – A simulation study

This simulation study investigated whether a 4-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) arm could strike a target with a 50-DOF whip using a motion profile similar to discrete human movements. The interactive dynamics of the multi-joint arm was modeled as a constant joint-space mechanical impedance, with values derived from experimental measurement. Targets at various locations could be hit with a single maximally smooth motion in joint-space coordinates. The arm movements that hit the targets were identified with fewer than 250 iterations. The optimal actions were essentially planar arm motions in extrinsic task-space coordinates, predominantly oriented along the most compliant direction of both task-space and joint-space mechanical impedances. Of the optimal movement parameters, striking a target was most sensitive to movement duration. This result suggests that the elementary actions observed in human motor behavior may support efficient motor control in interaction with a dynamically complex object.