On stability and tuning of neural oscillators: application to rhythmic control of a humanoid robot

Neural oscillators offer a natural tool for exploiting and adapting to the dynamics of the controlled system. The capability of entraining the frequency of the input signal or resonance modes of dynamical systems have been increasingly used in robotics´ mechanisms, to accomplish complex tasks. However, the application of Matsuoka neural oscillators as controllers requires the knowledge of the range of values for the parameters for which the system oscillates, and the warranty of stability. Thus, this paper studies in depth the stability and tuning of Matsuoka neural oscillators, and presents a careful analysis of its behavior on the time-domain. The method is applied on a humanoid robot for playing musical instruments.