Targeting spatiotemporal patterns in extended systems with multiple coexisting attractors

Variable stiffness adaptive control algorithms were used to achieve control in situations where control fails with fixed control stiffness, such as in the presence of coexisting attractors. In such difficult control scenarios, variable stiffness was employed to guide the rate of change of the parameter and achieve control by changing the parameter sufficiently fast so that the system does hot have time to target trapped in any undesired attractor. Further, it was shown how such variable stiffness schemes can be used to step up the efficiency of control by making frequent suitable changes in the stiffness of control.