skip to main content
Human-centered Bio-Robotics @ UA
  • HOME
  • PEOPLE
  • RESEARCH
  • EDUCATION
  • OPPORTUNITIES
  • HOME
  • PEOPLE
  • RESEARCH
  • EDUCATION
  • OPPORTUNITIES

Human-Centered Control of Robotic Lower-Limb Prostheses

EMG Control SchemeEMG Control Scheme
​​With powered joints, an energetically-active lower-limb prosthesis has a potential of generating the desired motion according to the user’s intention.  To realize such potential, we are exploring a new fault-tolerant EMG direct control system for powered lower-limb prostheses.  Electromyography (EMG) provides a non-intrusive interface to the user’s nervous system.  The surface EMG electrode signals indicate the underlying muscle activation, which in turn reflects the amputee user’s intention for joint movement.  To provide a natural control experience, we developed a biomimetic “active-reactive” actuation model, with the objective of capturing the essence of human motor control without excessive details involved.  Two sensor signals are used as the model input, including a flexor signal and an extensor signal.  Within the model, an active component represents the user’s active effort of moving a joint (which is a function of the difference between the signals), while a reactive component represents the joint’s response to the motion as dictated by the joint impedance (which in turn is a function of the sum of the flexor and extensor signals).  As such, this unique actuation model enables a prosthesis user to modulate the actuation torque and joint impedance independently, in a way similar to the control of biological joints.

The University of Alabama wordmark
Accessibility | Equal Opportunity | UA Disclaimer | Site Disclaimer | Privacy
Copyright © 2020 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 | (205) 348-6010
Website provided by the Center for Instructional Technology, Office of Information Technology