Imitating action: visually perceiving the instructor's limbs to estimate angles relative to gravity - a second approach to modelling mimicry

Imitating the action of another individual involves visual perception. Both geometric and timing information must be extracted and then applied.

• Looking from the side, we can see how someone follows a fitness instructor.
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• direction is updated at intervals
• speed is constant, for both the predator and the prey
• the predator has 1.4 times the speed of the prey

In the example above we assume that the predator reacts to the visual information. In process control this is called feedback. The predator does not anticipate or predict where they prey is going to run.

In the next example, based on the same predator - prey scenario, I assume that the predator can predict exactly how far the prey can run before the predator can catch up.

• Looking from above, we can compare the chase scenarios.
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• speeds and distances are the same as before.
• prediction allows the predator to run along a shorter path, and thus catch the prey earlier.

Prediction can be limited, say for 2 or 3 of the time periods. The predator predicts where the prey will be in 10 seconds.