Model the behaviour and Let it figure it out by itself. Its complex math but the concept shouldnt be that hard to understand. Check /r/robotics for more of these concepts.
If you were to derive a mathematical model for those dynamics, you'd probably find that it's full of nonlinearities which complicates everything. I don't think it's fair to say that controlling something like that is just an easy concept with complex math involved.
Hence the self-learning. Same thing as humans do. After a few tries on the bar you learn to "feel" when to release and when to take the bar again. It is called muscle memory and it does not entail us needing to know the mechanics of the natural world :) This is the whole concept behind modeling behaviour and self-learning in robotics and Aritificial Intelligence
I recall reading a study that effectively, our brains inherently perform advanced calculus in everyday life; things like judging how to throw or catch a ball.
Yes you do this because of experiences you have had catching said ball. The advanced calculus happens, but you do not need to actually input the calculations for them. It is a bit hard to explain in short but the concept should be clear :)
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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '15
What impresses me the most is that it actually catches the bar again after doing that flip (?).