Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Controlling Powered Prosthesis Joint Impedance Over Continuous Stance Transitions Between Walking and Stair Ascent/Descent.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026
Same author

Effects of a Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis on Intact Joint Biomechanics Across Sustained Activities of Daily Life: A Case Series.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026
Same author

Vibrotactile Haptic and Gesture Feedback in a Smartwatch for Controlling a Multi-Activity Powered Knee-Ankle Prosthesis.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same author

Task-Agnostic Exoskeleton Torque Assistance Reduces Ankle Osteoarthritis Pain: A Pilot Study.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same author

Customizable Task-Agnostic Exoskeleton Control for Targeted Neuromuscular Assistance: Case Series.

IEEE open journal of engineering in medicine and biology·2025
Same author

The clinical effects of the Ă–ssur Power Knee with phase-based and default control during sitting, standing, and walking.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Engineering Platform and Experimental Protocol for Design and Evaluation of a Neurally-controlled Powered Transfemoral Prosthesis
11:16

Engineering Platform and Experimental Protocol for Design and Evaluation of a Neurally-controlled Powered Transfemoral Prosthesis

Published on: July 22, 2014

Optimal Energy Shaping and Force Amplification Framework for Task-Agnostic, Biomimetic Ankle Exoskeletons.

Katharine Walters1, Gray C Thomas2, Robert D Gregg1

  • 1Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

IEEE Transactions on Robotics : a Publication of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
|July 9, 2026
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces an advanced energy-shaping control for lower-limb exoskeletons, improving biomimicry and stability. The novel controller reduced biological torque by 19.1% in users during daily activities.

More Related Videos

The Muscle Cuff Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface for the Amplification of Intact Peripheral Nerve Signals
07:30

The Muscle Cuff Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface for the Amplification of Intact Peripheral Nerve Signals

Published on: January 13, 2022

Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton
09:46

Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton

Published on: June 16, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Engineering Platform and Experimental Protocol for Design and Evaluation of a Neurally-controlled Powered Transfemoral Prosthesis
11:16

Engineering Platform and Experimental Protocol for Design and Evaluation of a Neurally-controlled Powered Transfemoral Prosthesis

Published on: July 22, 2014

The Muscle Cuff Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface for the Amplification of Intact Peripheral Nerve Signals
07:30

The Muscle Cuff Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface for the Amplification of Intact Peripheral Nerve Signals

Published on: January 13, 2022

Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton
09:46

Training Persons with Spinal Cord Injury to Ambulate Using a Powered Exoskeleton

Published on: June 16, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Biomechanics
  • Control Systems

Background:

  • Current lower-limb exoskeleton controllers struggle with adaptability, explainability, and safety.
  • Force amplification methods offer sensitivity but risk instability, while energy shaping provides stability but limits biomimicry.
  • Previous attempts to enhance energy shaping reduced stability guarantees.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present an optimization-based extension of energy-shaping control for lower-limb exoskeletons.
  • To combine the stability of energy shaping with the biomimicry of force amplification.
  • To enable controlled trade-offs between human impedance sensitivity and controller performance.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an optimization-based extension to the energy-shaping control framework.
  • Incorporated adjustable cost contributions from force amplification and model-based terms.
  • Provided theoretical stability guarantees and empirical validation using an ankle exoskeleton.

Main Results:

  • The proposed framework allows controlled trade-offs between sensitivity and performance.
  • Theoretical guarantees of closed-loop stability were established under human joint impedance control.
  • Empirical validation confirmed stability characteristics under varying passivity constraints.
  • A user study showed a 19.1% reduction in biological ankle torque across activities.

Conclusions:

  • The optimization-based energy-shaping controller successfully integrates stability and biomimicry for lower-limb exoskeletons.
  • This approach offers improved performance and safety compared to existing methods.
  • The controller demonstrated significant reduction of biological torque in able-bodied users.