A method for controlling a damping modification in an artificial knee joint of an orthosis, an exoskeleton, or a prosthesis. The artificial knee joint has an upper part pivotally connected to a lower part. A resistance unit is secured between the upper part and the lower part in order to provide a resistance against a flexion or extension. The resistance unit is paired with an adjustment device to modify the resistance when a sensor signal of a control unit paired with the adjustment device activates the adjustment device. The flexion resistance is reduced for the swing phase. A curve of at least one load characteristic is detected when walking or standing; a maximum of the load characteristic curve when standing is ascertained; and the flexion damping is reduced to a swing-phase damping level during the standing phase when a threshold of the load characteristic below a maximum is reached.

A hybrid artificial limb device is provided. A hybrid artificial limb device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: a joint upper side connection member positioned at the upper side of a knee; a knee joint member connected to the joint upper side connection member; and a frame coupled to the knee joint member to be able to perform a pivot rotation, and forming a femoral part. The hybrid artificial limb device also comprises: a passive driving module which includes a hydraulic cylinder connected to the knee joint member, so as to transfer passive power to the knee joint member; and an active driving module which is coupled to the knee joint member so as to transfer active power to the knee joint member. When the frame performs a pivot rotation about the knee joint member, the passive power from the passive driving module and the active power from the active driving module may be selectively or simultaneously provided to the knee joint member.

A prosthetic knee joint includes a thigh connection part, a lower leg part coupled to the thigh connection part rotatably around an axis of a knee, an actuator coupled to the thigh connection part and the lower leg part, where the actuator is configured to restrict or assist movement of the thigh connection part, a detector unit for obtaining information about how the thigh connection part and the lower leg part are relatively positioned, a control unit for controlling driving of the actuator based on a result detected by the detector unit, and an estimating unit for estimating a state of the user's movement based on the result detected by the detector unit. When the estimating unit estimates that the user is not walking, the control unit sets a longer control cycle for the driving of the actuator than when the estimating unit estimates that the user is walking.

A posture calculator that calculates the posture of a moving object based on a first hypercomplex number derived based on a detection result from an angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity of the moving object and a second hypercomplex number that is derived based on a detection result from an angle sensor for detecting an angle of the moving object and that has the same number of terms as that of the first hypercomplex number.

A robotic joint includes a first link, a middle link, a torque generator, a second link, and a locking mechanism. Different ends of the middle link are rotatably coupled to the first link and the second link. The torque generator is coupled to the first link and the middle link and is configured to produce a torque between these links. The locking mechanism is switchable between a locking state and an unlocking state. In the unlocking state, the locking mechanism allows free rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the first and second rotation directions. In the locking state, the locking mechanism is configured to impede rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the first rotation direction and to allow rotation of the second link relative to the middle link in the second rotation direction opposite of the first rotation direction.

A lower limb prosthesis comprises an attachment section (10), a shin section (12), a foot section (14), a knee joint (16) pivotally connecting the attachment section (10) and the shin section (12), and an ankle joint (22) pivotally connecting the shin section (12) and the foot section (14). The knee joint includes a dynamically adjustable knee flexion control device (18) for damping knee flexion. The prosthesis further comprises a plurality of sensors (52, 53, 54, 85, 87) each arranged to generate sensor signals indicative of at least one respective kinetic or kinematic parameter of locomotion or of walking environment, and an electronic control system (100) coupled to the sensors (52, 53, 54, 85, 87) and to the knee flexion control device (18) in order dynamically and automatically to modify the flexion control setting of the knee joint (16) in response to signals from the sensors. When the inclination sensor signals indicate descent of a downward incline, the damping resistance of the knee flexion control device (18) is set to a first level during a major part of the stance phase of the gait cycle and to a second, lower level during a major part of the swing phase of the gait cycle. During an interval including a latter part of the stance phase, the knee flexion control device (18) is adjusted so that the damping resistance to knee flexion is between the first and second levels.

A multi-articulated link knee joint includes: a knee unit in which an upper link unit rotates relative to a lower link unit by a multi-articulated link mechanism including a plurality of link units including the upper link unit and the lower link unit; a relative position detector for detecting a relative position of the upper link unit relative to the lower link unit; and an angle detector for obtaining a bending angle of the knee unit from the detected relative position.

The joint device having a linking unit which links a first member and a second member in a manner allowing relative movement, and having an expansion/contraction device 12 which is connected across the first member 1 and the second member in a manner allowing power transmission and which can modify an angle formed by the first member and the second member around the linking member by expanding and contracting. The expansion/contraction device has a rotary unit which generates rotary power, and a conversion unit which is connected to the rotating unit in a manner allowing power transmission and converts the rotary power generated by the rotary unit into translational motion along a direction of expansion/contraction.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a prosthesis or orthesis of the lower extremity, which prosthesis or orthesis comprises an upper part (10) and a lower part (20) that is connected to the upper part (20) via a knee joint (1) and is mounted so as to be pivotable relative to the upper part (10) about a joint pin (15); wherein an adjustable resistance device (40) is situated between the upper part (10) and the lower part (20), by means of which resistance device a flexion resistance (Rf) in an early and middle standing phase is modified, during walking, on the basis of sensor data, following initial heel contact up to the middle standing phase; wherein, following the initial heel contact, the flexion resistance (Rf) is increased to a value at which further flexion is blocked or at least slowed; wherein the progression over time of the flexion resistance increase and/or the maximum achievable flexion angle (Af) is modified on the basis of the inclination of the ground or a height difference (ΔH) to be overcome.

A knee prosthesis system including a knee prosthesis, an actuator and a controlling unit. The knee prosthesis includes a thigh segment and a shank segment. The actuator rotatably connects the shank segment and the thigh segment. The actuator is configured to controllably assume a powered knee behavior to generate knee motion or a passive knee behavior to resist knee motion. The controlling unit includes a finite-state control structure. The controlling unit electrically communicates with the actuator. The control structure includes at least three passive states and at least one powered state. The passive states include a passive stance-resistance state, a swing-flexion state, and a swing-extension state and the at least one powered state includes at least one of a swing-assistance state, a stance-assistance state, and a powered-swing state.