Effect of physical variation on the reduced dimensional control of a mass-spring-damper chain system

In this work the relationship between growth and ontogenetic development of motor control is studied from the perspective of reduced dimensionality in control; such motor control strategies have been suggested as a possible mechanism circumventing the degree of freedom coordination problem. The relationship between reduced dimensional behaviour and parametric variation is empirically analysed in a simulated actuated mass-spring-damper system, as a loose analogy to physical growth process in vertebrate limbs. The resultant dimensionality change is analysed and ideal directions for growth, in terms of physical parameter variations, are discussed.