Inclusion of actuator dynamics in simulations of assisted human movement.

Simulation of musculoskeletal systems using dynamic optimization is a powerful approach for studying the biomechanics of human movements and can be applied to human-robot interactions. The simulation results of human movements augmented by robotic devices may be used to evaluate and optimize the device design and controller. However, simulations are limited by the accuracy of the models which are usually simplified for computation efficiency. Typically, the powered robotic devices are often modeled as massless, ideal torque actuators that is without mass and internal dynamics, which may have significant impacts on the simulation results. This article investigates the effects of including the mass and internal dynamics of the device in simulations of assisted human movement. The device actuator was modeled in various ways with different detail levels. Dynamic optimization was used to find the muscle activations and actuator commands in motion tracking and predictive simulations. The results showed that while the effects of device mass and inertia can be small, the electrical dynamics of the motor can significantly impact the results. This outcome suggests the importance of using an accurate actuator model in simulations of human movement augmented by assistive devices. NOVELTY: Demonstrating the effects of including mass and internal dynamics of the actuator in simulations of assisted human movement A new OpenSim electric motor actuator class to capture the electromechanical dynamics for use in simulation of human movement assisted by powered robotic devices.

A model-based motion capture marker location refinement approach using inverse kinematics from dynamic trials.

Marker-based motion capture techniques are commonly used to measure human body kinematics. These techniques require an accurate mapping from physical marker position to model marker position. Traditional methods utilize a manual process to achieve marker positions that result in accurate tracking. In this work, we present an optimization algorithm for model marker placement to minimize marker tracking error during inverse kinematics analysis of dynamic human motion. The algorithm sequentially adjusts model marker locations in 3-D relative to the underlying rigid segment. Inverse kinematics is performed for a dynamic motion capture trial to calculate the tracking error each time a marker position is changed. The increase or decrease of the tracking error determines the search direction and number of increments for each marker coordinate. A final marker placement for the model is reached when the total search interval size for every coordinate falls below a user-defined threshold. Individual marker coordinates can be locked in place to prevent the algorithm from overcorrecting for data artifacts such as soft tissue artifact. This approach was used to refine model marker placements for eight able-bodied subjects performing walking trials at three stride frequencies. Across all subjects and stride frequencies, root mean square (RMS) tracking error decreased by 38.4% and RMS tracking error variance decreased by 53.7% on average. The resulting joint kinematics were in agreement with expected values from the literature. This approach results in realistic kinematics with marker tracking errors well below accepted thresholds while removing variance in the model-building procedure introduced by individual human tendencies.

Capturing prosthetic socket fitment: Preliminary results using an ultrasound-based device.

The acceptance of advanced prosthetic systems by users requires overcoming unique challenges of fitting prostheses to unique user anatomies to achieve systematic performance across a user base. Variations among individuals introduce complexities in fitting the sockets. Due to the difficulty of measuring socket interface characteristics, there is a lack of quantifiable diagnostic fitment information available. As a result, the process of fitting sockets is currently a laborintensive, manual approach, and can often result in sockets that are uncomfortable, unstable, or impede full range of motion. Additionally, results can be difficult to reproduce reliably. A diagnostic tool has been developed to quantify the relative movement between the socket and the residual bone during the fitting process. The approach leverages low cost and high precision ultrasound transceivers and intuitive visualization software to provide quantifiable socket fitment data. The goal is to enable a systematic socket-fitting strategy that yields reliable and reproducible results. Human subject testing and results are presented that show movement tracking relative to a cuff with an ultrasound transducer with an RMSD of 0.36 mm.

Preliminary study of a robotic foot-ankle prosthesis with active alignment.

Robotic prosthetic foot-ankle prostheses typically aim to replace the lost joint with revolute joints aimed at replicating normal joint biomechanics. In this paper, a previously developed robotic ankle prosthesis with active alignment is evaluated. It uses a four-bar mechanism to inject positive power into the gait cycle while altering the kinematics of the ankle joint and pylon segment to reduce loading on the residual limb. In a single-subject biomechanics analysis, there was a 10% reduction in peak limb pressures and evidence of greater gait symmetry in ground reaction forces when active alignment was implemented compared to walking with the daily use prosthesis. These results provide preliminary evidence that an alternative lower limb prosthesis may be capable of improving gait characteristics over traditional revolute designs.

Simulation of a powered ankle prosthesis with dynamic joint alignment.

This paper presents simulations of a new type of powered ankle prosthesis designed to dynamically align the tibia with the ground reaction force (GRF) vector during peak loading. The functional goal is to reduce the moment transferred through the socket to the soft tissue of the residual limb. The forward dynamics simulation results show a reduction in socket moment and the impact on the pelvis and affected-side knee. This work supports further research on transtibial prosthetic designs that are not limited to mimicking physiologically normal joint motions to optimize lower limb amputee gait.

Redefining prosthetic ankle mechanics: non-anthropomorphic ankle design.

The moment transferred at the residual limb socket interface of transtibial amputees can be a limiting factor of the comfort and activity level of lower limb amputees. The high pressures seen can be a significant source of pain, as well as result in deep tissue damage. The compensation of the sound limbs causes an asymmetrical gait which can be a contributor of early onset osteoarthritis in the sound limbs. It has been shown that the moment transferred with conventional passive prostheses can be lowered in magnitude by aligning the tibia with ground reaction forces, but this limits the effectiveness of the device. With recent powered prosthetics designed to mimic the missing limb, power can be injected into the gait cycle, but can also be limited by this pressure threshold. This paper shows the results of calculations that suggest that altering the prosthetic ankle mechanism can reduce the socket interface moments by as much as 50%. This supports the development of an active non-anthropomorphic ankle prosthesis which reduces socket interface moments while still injecting substantial power levels into the gait cycle.

Simulation of a slope adapting ankle prosthesis provided by semi-active damping.

Modern passive prosthetic foot/ankles cannot adapt to variations in ground slope. The lack of active adaptation significantly compromises an amputee's balance and stability on uneven terrains. To address this deficit, this paper proposes an ankle prosthesis that uses semi-active damping as a mechanism to provide active slope adaptation. The conceptual ankle prosthesis consists of a modulated damper in series with a spring foot that allows the foot to conform to the angle of the surface in the sagittal plane. In support of this approach, biomechanics data is presented showing unilateral transtibial amputees stepping on a wedge with their daily-use passive prosthesis. Based on this data, a simulation of the ankle prosthesis with semi-active damping is developed. The model shows the kinematic adaptation of the prosthesis to sudden changes in ground slope. The results show the potential of an ankle prosthesis with semi-active damping to actively adapt to the ground slope at each step.