Books
Human Robotics - neuromechanics and motor control
MIT Press, $45, also available at Amazon.
ISBN 978-0-262-01953-8, Flyer, Book Review
This MIT Press book by Etienne Burdet, David W. Franklin and Theodore Milner proposes a transdisciplinary approach to investigating human motor control that synthesizes musculoskeletal biomechanics and neural control.
This integrated approach - which uses the framework of robotics to understand sensorimotor control problems - offers a more complete and accurate description than either a purely neural computational approach or a purely biomechanical one.
The authors focus on the insights their approach offers in understanding how movement of the arm is controlled and how the control adapts to changing environments.
The book begins with muscle mechanics and control, progresses in a logical manner to planning and behavior, and describes applications in neurorehabilitation and robotics. The material is self-contained, and accessible to researchers and professionals in a range of fields including psychology, kinesiology, neurology, computer science, and robotics.