Control theory arose from a need to control synthetic systems. From regulating steam
engines to tuning radios to devices capable of autonomous movement, it provided a formal …

Highlights•Neural computation is inherently closed-loop.•Recent advances afford the
experimental opening and closing of feedback loops.•Control theory facilitates comparative …

Trade-offs between producing costly movements for gathering information ('explore') and
using previously acquired information to achieve a goal ('exploit') arise in a wide variety of …

Rapid and consistent turning of running legged robots on surfaces with moderate friction is
challenging due to leg slip and uncertain dynamics. A tail is proposed as a method to effect …

A renaissance in organismal biology has been sparked by recent conceptual, theoretical,
methodological, and computational advances in the life sciences, along with an …

Here, we review the role of control theory in modeling neural control systems through a top-
down analysis approach. Specifically, we examine the role of the brain and central nervous …

The control of multilegged animal walking is a neuromechanical process, and to achieve this
in an adaptive and energy efficient way is a difficult and challenging problem. This is due to …

Insect proprioception utilizes hundreds of campaniform sensilla embedded in the
exoskeleton that sense strain. These sensilla are essential for many behaviors, especially …

Shape control of continuum robots requires a means of sensing the the curved shape of the
robot. Since continuum robots are deformable, they take on shapes that are general curves …

Jumping locomotion is critical for microrobots to overcome obstacles. Among the
microjumping robots, the development of an omnidirectional jumping mechanism is …