Principal Investigator Hugh Herr
Project Website http://biomech.media.mit.edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/#/portfolio_page/sensor-fusions-for-an-emg-control…
Robotic wearable devices often must be able to distinguish among many different terrain conditions. We are developing methodologies for detecting these conditions with available sensor technology.
A method to determine the optimal features for control of a powered lower-limb prostheses -- Lower-limb prostheses are rapidly advancing with greater computing power and sensing modalities. This paper is an attempt to begin exploring the trade-off between extrinsic and intrinsic control modalities. In this case, between electromyographic (extrinsic) and several internal sensors that can be used for intrinsic control. We propose a method that will identify the particular features, taken from two trans-femoral amputee and one trans-tibial amputee, during locomotion on varying terrain, that perfectly discriminate between locomotion modes. From this we are able to identify the source of the discriminability from a large-set of features that does not depend on the type of amputation. Also, we comment on the use of this algorithm in selecting the most discriminatory and least encumbering sensor/feature combination for transitions when the ground underneath the foot is unknown for trans-tibial amputees.