A Comparison Between Human Operator and Optimum Linear Controller RMS-Error Performance

The rms-error performance of a human operator in a simple closed-loop control system responding to input signals from a non-Gaussian process was measured and compared with the performance of an ``optimum'' linear controller. The results show that the human operator produces rms errors which are approximately equal to those produced by a highly constrained optimum linear controller. Comparison of the error-signal waveforms in the human operator system and the linear system reveals some adaptive behavior on the part of the human operator.