A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis
<bold>Objective:</bold> Configuring a prosthetic leg is an integral part of the fitting process, but the personalization of a multi-modal powered knee-ankle prosthesis is often too complex to realize in a clinical environment. This paper develops both the technical means to individualize...
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10990182/ |
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| author | Emma Reznick T. Kevin Best Robert D. Gregg |
| author_facet | Emma Reznick T. Kevin Best Robert D. Gregg |
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| description | <bold>Objective:</bold> Configuring a prosthetic leg is an integral part of the fitting process, but the personalization of a multi-modal powered knee-ankle prosthesis is often too complex to realize in a clinical environment. This paper develops both the technical means to individualize a hybrid kinematic-impedance controller for variable-incline walking and sit-stand transitions, and an intuitive Clinical Tuning Interface (CTI) that allows prosthetists to directly modify the controller behavior. <bold>Methods and procedures:</bold> Utilizing an established method for predicting kinematic gait individuality alongside a new parallel approach for kinetic individuality, we personalize continuous-phase/task models of joint impedance (during stance) and kinematics (during swing) using tuned characteristics exclusively from level-ground walking. To take advantage of this method, we developed a CTI that translates common clinical tuning parameters into model adjustments for the walking and sit-stand controllers. We then conducted a case study where a prosthetist iteratively tuned the powered prosthesis to an above-knee amputee participant in a simulated clinical session involving sit-stand transitions and level walking, from which incline/decline walking features were automatically calibrated. <bold>Results:</bold> The prosthetist fully tuned the multi-activity prosthesis controller in under 20 min. Each iteration of tuning (i.e., observation, parameter adjustment, and model reprocessing) took 2 min on average for walking and 1 min on average for sit-stand. The tuned behavior changes were appropriately manifested in the commanded prosthesis torques, both at the manually tuned tasks and automatically tuned tasks (inclines). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The CTI leveraged able-bodied trends to efficiently personalize a wide array of walking tasks and sit-stand transitions, demonstrating the efficiency necessary for powered knee-ankle prostheses to become clinically viable. <bold>Clinical impact:</bold> This paper introduces a clinical tuning interface that simplifies the tuning process for multimodal robotic prosthetic legs, reducing the time required from several hours to just 20 minutes thus improving clinical feasibility. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
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| series | IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-d249eb0e8b4b4c58a90e8b055958adc62025-08-20T02:16:49ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine2168-23722025-01-011322723610.1109/JTEHM.2025.356757810990182A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle ProsthesisEmma Reznick0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0422-1401T. Kevin Best1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0404-2166Robert D. Gregg2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0729-2857Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA<bold>Objective:</bold> Configuring a prosthetic leg is an integral part of the fitting process, but the personalization of a multi-modal powered knee-ankle prosthesis is often too complex to realize in a clinical environment. This paper develops both the technical means to individualize a hybrid kinematic-impedance controller for variable-incline walking and sit-stand transitions, and an intuitive Clinical Tuning Interface (CTI) that allows prosthetists to directly modify the controller behavior. <bold>Methods and procedures:</bold> Utilizing an established method for predicting kinematic gait individuality alongside a new parallel approach for kinetic individuality, we personalize continuous-phase/task models of joint impedance (during stance) and kinematics (during swing) using tuned characteristics exclusively from level-ground walking. To take advantage of this method, we developed a CTI that translates common clinical tuning parameters into model adjustments for the walking and sit-stand controllers. We then conducted a case study where a prosthetist iteratively tuned the powered prosthesis to an above-knee amputee participant in a simulated clinical session involving sit-stand transitions and level walking, from which incline/decline walking features were automatically calibrated. <bold>Results:</bold> The prosthetist fully tuned the multi-activity prosthesis controller in under 20 min. Each iteration of tuning (i.e., observation, parameter adjustment, and model reprocessing) took 2 min on average for walking and 1 min on average for sit-stand. The tuned behavior changes were appropriately manifested in the commanded prosthesis torques, both at the manually tuned tasks and automatically tuned tasks (inclines). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The CTI leveraged able-bodied trends to efficiently personalize a wide array of walking tasks and sit-stand transitions, demonstrating the efficiency necessary for powered knee-ankle prostheses to become clinically viable. <bold>Clinical impact:</bold> This paper introduces a clinical tuning interface that simplifies the tuning process for multimodal robotic prosthetic legs, reducing the time required from several hours to just 20 minutes thus improving clinical feasibility.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10990182/Prostheticsclinical tuningindividualized careroboticscase studytranslational engineering |
| spellingShingle | Emma Reznick T. Kevin Best Robert D. Gregg A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine Prosthetics clinical tuning individualized care robotics case study translational engineering |
| title | A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis |
| title_full | A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis |
| title_fullStr | A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis |
| title_short | A Clinical Tuning Framework for Continuous Kinematic and Impedance Control of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis |
| title_sort | clinical tuning framework for continuous kinematic and impedance control of a powered knee ankle prosthesis |
| topic | Prosthetics clinical tuning individualized care robotics case study translational engineering |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10990182/ |
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