Abstract
The advent of powered prosthetic ankles provided more balance and optimal energy expenditure to lower amputee gait. However, these types of systems require an extensive setup where the parameters of the ankle, such as the amount of positive power and the stiffness of the ankle, need to be setup. Currently, calibrations are performed by experts, who base the inputs on subjective observations and experience. In this study, a novel evidence-based tuning method was presented using multi-channel electromyogram data from the residual limb, and a model for muscle activity was built. Tuning using this model requires an exhaustive search over all the possible combinations of parameters, leading to computationally inefficient system. Various data-driven optimization methods were investigated and a modified Nelder–Mead algorithm using a Latin Hypercube Sampling method was introduced to tune the powered prosthetic. The results of the modified Nelder–Mead optimization were compared to the Exhaustive search, Genetic Algorithm, and conventional Nelder–Mead method, and the results showed the feasibility of using the presented method, to objectively calibrate the parameters in a time-efficient way using biological evidence.
Highlights
Recent improvements in prosthetics introduced powered ankles and knees to the amputee gait and the advent of such technologies brought more balance and symmetry to the users
The results of this paper showed the feasibility of using smart search for objectively tuning the powered prosthetic systems in a much shorter time with surface electromyogram (EMG) signals from residual limb
The purpose of this study was to explore the data-driven optimization methods to achieve a smart tuning in a short time, using the physiological data acquired from wireless EMG sensors
Summary
Recent improvements in prosthetics introduced powered ankles and knees to the amputee gait and the advent of such technologies brought more balance and symmetry to the users. These prosthetic systems are embedded with battery-driven mechanical motors to provide extra torque, and assists the users by propelling them forward without requiring them to supplement excessive metabolic energy. Such systems can be controlled and fitted to various user types with different physical features by manipulating the impedance-controlled parameters.
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