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Individuals with transfemoral amputation are subject to higher levels of exertion when using energetically passive prostheses. Powered prostheses have been proven to reduce this increased metabolic expenditure as well as provide additional benefits of reducing increased loading seen on the intact limb post-amputation. The EPIC lab has developed a powered prosthesis that utilizes two motors to provide assistance independently at both the knee and ankle joints. There a variety of embedded sensors such as encoders, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and a 6-DOF loadcell to help extract user information as one ambulates across a variety of walking modes (i.e. overground, ramps, and stairs). We are interested in developing intelligent intent recognition systems using machine learning and sensor fusion techniques that restores and improves overall independence and mobility.

Lab members:

Jairo Maldonado
Christoph Nuesslein
Jason Zhou
Sujay Kestur
Hanjun Kim

Collaborators:

Dr. Aaron Ames
Dr. Lee Childers
Robert Kistenberg
Eric Ambrose
Rachel Gehlhar

Related work:

Krishan Bhakta, Jonathan Camargo Leyva, William Compton, Kinsey Herrin, Aaron Young, “Continuous Walking Speed Determination for Individuals with Transfemoral Amputation using a Powered Prosthetic Device,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, accepted, March 2021.

Krishan Bhakta, Jonathan Camargo Leyva, Luke Donovan, Kinsey Herrin, Aaron Young, “Machine Learning Model Comparisons of User Independent & Dependent Intent Recognition Systems for Powered Prostheses,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Volume 5, Issue 4, (2020) pp. 5393-5400. (DOI)

Krishan Bhakta, Jonathan Camargo, Pratik Kunapuli, Lee Childers, Aaron Young, “Impedance control strategies for enhancing sloped and level walking capabilities for individuals with transfemoral amputation using a powered prosthesis,” MHSRS Supplement to Military Medicine Update, Volume 185, Issue Supplement 1, (2020), pp. 490-499. (DOI)