Modeling the journey as well as the destination: a control theory account of rotational navigation
biorxiv.org
This preprint reveals how brains might navigate rotation not by tracking a fixed goal, but by continuously correcting the path — a living proof of control theory at work in biology.
Control TheoryFeedback LoopComputational NeuroscienceSensorimotor Integration
Theory Briefing
- Researchers apply control theory to rotational navigation, showing the brain may regulate movement as an ongoing feedback loop, not a fixed plan.
- The model accounts for both the journey and the destination, suggesting neural systems dynamically correct errors in real time during rotation.
- This framework challenges destination-only navigation models, implying biological steering is more like a thermostat than a GPS.