EMG control of a bionic knee prosthesis: exploiting muscle co-contractions for improved locomotor function

This paper presents the development and experimental evaluation of a volitional control architecture for a powered-knee transfemoral prosthesis that affords the amputee user with direct control of knee impedance using measured electromyogram (EMG) potentials of antagonist muscles in the residual limb. The control methodology incorporates a calibration procedure performed with each donning of the prosthesis that characterizes the co-contraction levels as the user performs volitional phantom-knee flexor and extensor contractions. The performance envelope for EMG control of impedance is then automatically shaped based on the flexor and extensor calibration datasets. The result is a control architecture that is optimized to the user's current co-contraction activity, providing performance robustness to variation in sensor placement or physiological changes in the residual-limb musculature. Experimental results with a single unilateral transfemoral amputee user demonstrate consistent and repeatable control performance for level walking at self-selected speed over a multi-week, multi-session period of evaluation.