12 Motor Control

This chapter gives an overview of basic findings, theoretical approaches, and applied perspectives in the field of motor control. In the first section, the core problem of motor control is introduced and two fundamental ways of solving it are presented: open-loop (feed forward) and closed-loop (feedback) control. The next section takes a closer look at feed-forward processes, which are initiated before a movement starts. They are, therefore, discussed under the heading of Motor Preparation. Subsequently, research on the use of sensory information in motor control is summarized. Closed-loop control involves the exploitation of sensory feedback from an ongoing movement, but sensory information may also be used for other purposes, such as during movement preparation. After the discussion of these fundamental issues, the topic of motor coordination is addressed. The problems that arise when two or more concurrent movements have to be coordinated are discussed in detail with special reference to bimanual coordination. In the final section, we review the empirical evidence for the tremendous flexibility of motor control, which is a prerequisite of human skills in operating tools and machines and in handling objects of various masses. Keywords: movement control; motor control; motor coordination; visuo-motor transformation; bimanual coordination