Figure 9
From: Locomotor adaptation to a powered ankle-foot orthosis depends on control method
Comparison of control methods. Comparing simplified block diagrams of footswitch (A) versus proportional myoelectric (B) control reveals a fundamental difference in the neurological integration of the control signal. In each control method, physiological muscle and the artificial pneumatic muscle act on the musculoskeletal system to create motion. A: In footswitch control the control signal for the artificial pneumatic muscle is generated by a footswitch. The signal from the footswitch depends on the motion (kinematics) of the subject. The efferent copy cannot provide the central nervous system with precise information about when the artificial pneumatic muscle is active or how strong it is contracting. B: In proportional myoelectric control the control signal for the artificial pneumatic muscle is generated by the subject's electromyographic activity. This signal is closely related to the efferent signal sent to physiological muscle from the central nervous system. The efferent copy therefore provides the central nervous system with information about what the control signal is and can be used effectively by the central nervous system to make predictions about what the artificial pneumatic muscle is doing.