The inverted pendulum is frequently used as a starting point for discussions of how human
balance is maintained during standing and locomotion. Here we examine three
experimental paradigms of time-delayed balance control:(1) mechanical inverted time-
delayed pendulum,(2) stick balancing at the fingertip, and (3) human postural sway during
quiet standing. Measurements of the transfer function (mechanical stick balancing) and the
two-point correlation function (Hurst exponent) for the movements of the fingertip (real stick …