SCH: INT: Optimal Prosthesis Design with Energy Regeneration

这项研究的目标有三个方面：（1）开发模拟人类肢体控制的新方法;（2）开发优化假肢控制的新方法，在行走过程中捕获能量，并存储该能量以延长有用的假肢寿命;（3）开发假肢原型。为了实现这些高层次的目标，我们将追求以下具体目标：（1）在我们的人体运动实验室中研究健全步态和截肢步态;（2）开发人体运动控制的数学模型，为假肢控制提供基础;（3）开发电子假肢控制;（4）开发基于计算机智能的优化假肢设计参数的新方法;（5）开发基于计算机智能的假肢控制系统。（5）制造假肢原型并在机器人系统中测试原型;（6）对假肢原型进行人体试验。如果成功，这项研究的结果将导致优化复杂的、相互关联的子系统的新方法，例如那些具有假肢特征的子系统。人类的腿通过在吸收能量的膝盖和产生能量的脚踝之间传递能量来工作。这项研究产生的新假肢设计将模仿人类腿部的能量传递。相互关联的工程系统通常彼此独立地设计和优化。这会导致设计过于保守，无法实现最佳交互，并限制性能、适应性和鲁棒性。本研究将开发综合优化算法，考虑相关子系统（例如，硬件，软件和控制）的相互依赖性。目前的膝关节假体不能恢复正常步态，这有助于截肢者的退行性关节疾病。这项研究将开发新的设计和优化方法，使假肢的性能更稳健，更接近自然的人类步态，并且比目前的假肢在电池充电之间持续更长时间。

The goals of this research are three-fold: (1) To develop new approaches for the simulation of human limb control; (2) To develop new approaches for optimizing prosthetic limb control, capture energy during walking, and store that energy to lengthen useful prosthesis life; and (3) To develop a prosthesis prototype. In order to accomplish these high-level goals, the following specific objectives will be pursued: (1) Study both able-bodied gait and amputee gait in our human motion lab; (2) Develop mathematical models for human motion control to provide a foundation for artificial limb control; (3) Develop electronic prosthesis controls; (4) Develop new approaches for optimizing prosthesis design parameters based on computer intelligence; (5) Fabricate a prosthesis prototype and test the prototype in a robotic system; (6) Conduct human trials of the prosthesis prototype.If successful, the results of this research will lead to new methods for optimizing complex, inter-related subsystems, such as those that are characteristic of prostheses. The human leg operates by transferring energy between the knee, which absorbs energy, and the ankle, which produces energy. The new prosthesis design that results from this research will mimic the energy transfer of the human leg. Inter-related engineering systems are typically designed and optimized independently of each other. This results in designs that are overly conservative, that do not interact optimally, and that limit performance, adaptability, and robustness. This research will develop integrated optimization algorithms that consider the inter-dependence of related subsystems (for example, hardware, software, and control). Current knee prostheses do not restore normal gait, and this contributes to degenerative joint disease among amputees. This research will develop new design and optimization approaches that will allow prostheses to perform more robustly, to perform closer to natural human gait, and to last longer between battery charges than current prostheses.