> "Order of magnitude", so you're saying the neural feedback loop latency is >100ms? That seems obviously wrong.
Human neural feedback loop latency is a range that varies widely depending on the type of loop involved. Reflex loops are fastest, operating in tens of milliseconds, while complex loops involving conscious thought can take hundreds of milliseconds.
Short-latency reflex: 20-30ms. Signal travels through spinal cord, bypassing the brain. E.g. knee-jerk reflex.
Long-latency reflex: 50-100ms. Signal travels to the brainstem and cortex for processing before returning. E.g. Adjusting grip strength when an object begins to slip from your hand.
Simple sensorimotor reaction: 230 - 330ms. Simple stimulus-response pathway involving conscious processing, but minimal decision-making. E.g. pressing a button as soon as light turns on.
Visuomotor control: ~150ms, adaptable with training. Complex, conscious loops involving vision, processing in the cortex, and motor commands. E.g. steering a bike to stay on a path in a video game.
Complex cognitive loops: Brain's processing speed for conscious thought is estimated at 10 bits per second, much slower than the speed of sensory data. High-level thought, decision-making, internal mental feedback. E.g. complex tasks like analyzing a chess board or making a strategic decision.
A few years ago I did some testing with a quick Arduino-based setup I cobbled together and got some interesting results.
The first test was the simple one-light-one-button test. I found that I had reaction time somewhere in the 220-270ms range. Pretty much what you'd expect.
The second test was a sound reaction test: it makes a noise, and I press the button. I don't remember the exact times, but my reaction times for audio were comfortably under 200ms. I was surprised at how much faster I was responding to sound compared to sight.
The last test was two lights, and two buttons. When the left light came on I press the left button; right light, right button. My reaction times were awful and I was super inaccurate, frequently pressing the wrong button. Again, I don't remember the times (I think near 400ms), but I was shocked at how much just adding a simple decision slowed me down.
Human neural feedback loop latency is a range that varies widely depending on the type of loop involved. Reflex loops are fastest, operating in tens of milliseconds, while complex loops involving conscious thought can take hundreds of milliseconds.
Short-latency reflex: 20-30ms. Signal travels through spinal cord, bypassing the brain. E.g. knee-jerk reflex.
Long-latency reflex: 50-100ms. Signal travels to the brainstem and cortex for processing before returning. E.g. Adjusting grip strength when an object begins to slip from your hand.
Simple sensorimotor reaction: 230 - 330ms. Simple stimulus-response pathway involving conscious processing, but minimal decision-making. E.g. pressing a button as soon as light turns on.
Visuomotor control: ~150ms, adaptable with training. Complex, conscious loops involving vision, processing in the cortex, and motor commands. E.g. steering a bike to stay on a path in a video game.
Complex cognitive loops: Brain's processing speed for conscious thought is estimated at 10 bits per second, much slower than the speed of sensory data. High-level thought, decision-making, internal mental feedback. E.g. complex tasks like analyzing a chess board or making a strategic decision.