@online{olson2026,
  author = {Olson, Dieter},
  title = {Managing {Slack} in {Linked} {Systems:} {When} to {Model}
    {It} {Away,} {When} {It} {Must} {Stay}},
  date = {2026-10-27},
  url = {https://affinedrift.com/articles/slack-management-linked-systems.html},
  langid = {en},
  abstract = {Leaving out grip gaps, tissue compliance and activation
    lag is a model reduction that must be declared. Using a two-channel
    transmission task that reproduces a published UpstreamDrift study to
    within 10\^{}-16 N m s, we compare no-slack (stiff spring),
    dead-zone, smooth-stiffening, second-linear-lag and unequal-lag
    representations. Shared linear channels cannot distinguish a
    persistent-direction program from a role-reversal program; unequal
    lags distinguish them without any slack; a smooth spring with no
    zero-transmission interval still favors persistent direction by
    129\% at a 12 mrad softening length (the role-reversal program makes
    129\% more error than the persistent-direction program). A gap of
    0.22 mrad, about 2\% of the 10 mrad stretch produced by the final 6
    N m wrist torque, already exceeds a 5\% equivalence margin. The best
    preparation depends on the declared output: the integrated tracking
    error of the net torque rewards unloading the channel that must
    reverse, while per-channel error rewards preloading each channel in
    its delivery direction. All parameters are synthetic.}
}