Prosthetic and/or orthotic devices (PODS), control systems for PODS and methods for controlling PODS are provided. As part of the control system, an inference layer collects data regarding a vertical and horizontal displacement of the POD, as well as an angle of the POD with respect to gravity during a gait cycle of a user of the POD. A processor analyzes the data collected to determine a locomotion activity of the user and selects one or more control parameters based on the locomotion activity. The inference layer may be situated between a reactive layer control module and a learning layer control module of the control system architecture.

A prosthetic ankle includes a pair of prosthetic members movably coupled together to allow movement of the pair of prosthetic members with respect to one another. A hydraulic actuator or damper including hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic chamber is coupled to one of the pair of prosthetic members. A hydraulic piston is movably disposed in the hydraulic chamber and coupled to another of the pair of prosthetic members. A hydraulic flow channel is fluidly coupled between opposite sides of the chamber to allow hydraulic fluid to move between the opposite sides of the chamber as the hydraulic piston moves therein. A voice coil valve is coupled to the hydraulic flow channel to vary resistance to flow of hydraulic fluid through the flow channel, and thus movement of the piston in the chamber, and thus influencing a rate of movement of the pair of prosthetic members with respect to one another.

Described here are prosthetic systems, devices, and methods of use therefor. Generally, a prosthesis may be configured to set a resistance to rotation of a prosthetic joint based on a phase of gait. The prosthesis may include a first cylinder, a first piston slidable within the first cylinder, a fluid sump, and a fluid circuit. The fluid circuit may include a plurality of interconnected fluid channels having a unidirectional variable-resistance valve and a set of check valves that are configured to provide unidirectional flow through the valve during piston compression and extension.

An upper extremity prosthesis may include a prosthetic hand including a prosthetic thumb having a base and a tip, and a prosthetic index finger having a base and a tip. Actuators may be coupled to the upper extremity prosthesis. Prosthetic flexion tendons may have first ends operably coupled to the actuators and second ends coupled to the tips of the thumb and the index finger. Biasing systems may be operably coupled to the prosthetic thumb and the index finger. Upon actuation of the actuators in a first direction, the prosthetic flexion tendons cause the thumb and index finger to flex. Upon actuation of the linear actuators in a second direction opposite the first direction, the biasing systems cause the thumb and index finger to extend.

A method for controlling an orthopedic joint of a lower extremity in at least one degree of freedom by an adjustable actuator for adjusting an orthopedic apparatus to walking situations that differ from walking on a plane. The orthopedic apparatus comprises top connecting members to connect to a limb, and an orthopedic element that is hingedly arranged distal to the connecting members. The method includes sensing, with sensors, several parameters of the orthopedic apparatus; comparing the sensed parameters with criteria that have been established based on several parameters and/or parameter curves and are stored in a computer unit; selecting a criterion that is suitable on the basis of the determined parameters and/or parameter curves; and adjusting resistances to movements, extents of movements, driving forces, and/or the progresses thereof in accordance with the selected criterion in order to control special functions that differ from walking on a plane.

A prosthetic arm apparatus including a plurality of segments that provide a user of the prosthetic arm apparatus with substantially the same movement capability and function as a human arm. The segments are connectable to one another and connectable to a prosthetic support apparatus that may be adorned by the user. A prosthetic limb segment includes a housing having an input interface and an output interface, the output interface and the input interface being moveable with respect to one another, a motorized drive disposed within the housing, the motorized drive effecting movement of at least one of the output interface or the input interface, and a controller disposed within the housing for controlling actuation of the motorized drive. The controller may be configured to communicate with at least a second motorized drive of at least a second prosthetic limb segment to control actuation thereof.

A control method for an arm prosthesis having at least one powered joint and at least one inertial measurement sensor (IMS) includes determining a motion and an orientation of the arm prosthesis relative to the inertial reference frame based at least on an output of the IMS and generating control signals for the at least one powered joint based on the motion and the orientation of the prosthetic arm.

A method for controlling an artificial orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, on which a lower-leg component is arranged and with which a resistance device is associated, the bending resistance of which resistance device is changed in dependence on sensor data that are determined by at least one sensor during the use of the orthotic or prosthetic knee joint, wherein a linear acceleration of the lower-leg component is determined, the determined linear acceleration is compared with at least one threshold value, and, if a threshold value of the linear acceleration of the lower-leg component is reached, the bending resistance is changed.

Prosthesis including prosthetic links driven by actuators, first sensors that sense current state ZUS(t); second sensors that sense biosignals SIG.sub.BIO(t); third sensors that sense data D.sub.UMG(t); processing device; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing device, perform operations including: determining based on SIG.sub.BIO(t), ZUS(t), and D.sub.UMG(t), model M.sub.A(t) of an action A, and predicting motions B.sub.eweg(M.sub.A(t)), dependent on M.sub.A(t) for a time period; determining a decision E to replace A with an action A(E) based on SIG.sub.BIO(t), ZUS(t), D.sub.UMG(t), and B.sub.eweg(M.sub.A(t)) according to an evaluation scheme, wherein A(E) can define a reflexive and/or protective motion, and if A(E) does not define the reflexive and/or protective motion, then determining model M.sub.A(t) of A(E) and predicting motions B.sub.eweg(M.sub.A(t)), dependent on M.sub.A(t), for the time period; deriving control signals Sig(t) based on B.sub.eweg(M.sub.A(t)) or B.sub.eweg(M.sub.A(t)), or based on the reflexive and/or protective motion, and controlling/regulating the actuators based on Sig(t).

The present disclosure provides for a device and method of control for an artificial prosthetic knee. A prosthetic knee according to the present disclosure relies on strictly passive means of providing support during weight bearing and supplements a resistive swing-phase mechanism with a small powered actuator. This actuator adds power to the knee, exclusively during swing phase, to improve swing-phase behavior. In particular, the knee still relies on the resistive swing-phase mechanism to provide nominal swing-phase knee motion, but supplements that motion as needed with the small powered actuator.