How do animals use sensory feedback to steer during movement?

Animals achieve precise steering during movement by utilizing a continuous feedback cycle, where motor output is constantly modified by sensory input. This process requires the integration of the central and peripheral nervous systems to adjust muscle contractions in real time.1

Steering relies on two types of sensory stimuli:
* Exteroceptive stimuli: Originating outside the body, these signals (such as visual or auditory cues) establish the animal's spatial position relative to the environment.1
* Proprioceptive stimuli: Originating inside the body, these signals establish the relative position of body units to each other, allowing for fine-tuned motor control.1

In biological control systems, this is often categorized as closed-system control. Unlike open-system responses, where an initial action does not affect subsequent ones, closed-system control uses feedback to progressively adjust behavior. For example, a bat chasing an insect continuously modifies its flight path based on sensory feedback to ensure an accurate interception. By constantly counteracting environmental deviations, animals maintain stable orientation and directional control throughout their movement.213