Targeted synchronization in an externally driven population of mechanical oscillators.

We experimentally investigate the synchronization of driven metronomes using a servo motor to impose external control. We show that a driven metronome will only synchronize in a narrow range near its own frequency; when we introduce coupling between metronomes, we can widen the range of frequencies over which a metronome will synchronize to the external input. Using these features, we design a signal to synchronize a population of dissimilar metronomes; separately we design a signal to selectively synchronize a subpopulation of metronomes within a heterogeneous population.