Impedance parameter power control for lower limb assistive device

A system comprising a controller for a powered lower limb assistive device, the system comprising a motorized joint of the assistive device, the controller comprising a microprocessor and being configured to:

• a. receive one or more user-generated signals while the assistive device is operating in a mode and a state, wherein the mode represents a particular type of activity of the assistive device and the state represents a particular period of operation of the assistive device during a mode;
• b. determine an amount of load on the assistive device using information in the one or more user-generated signals;
• c. select one or more joint impedance parameters of the assistive device for adjustment, selected from the group consisting of a stiffness parameter, a damping parameter, and an equilibrium angle parameter, wherein the one or more selected joint impedance parameters are selected depending upon the mode and the state in which the device is operating;
• and
• d. within the mode and state in which the device is operating, continuously adjusting the one or more selected joint impedance parameters as a function of the amount of load on the assistive device, and
• e. initiate a signal that controls the motorized joint using the one or more adjusted joint impedance parameters.