FES cycling with electric motor assist

Hunt, K.J., Stone, B., Negaard, N.-O., Schauer, T. and Fraser, M.H. (2002) FES cycling with electric motor assist. In: Proceedings of the 1st FESnet Conference, Glasgow, 2-3 September 2002,

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and test feedback control strategies for integration of elec- tric motor assist and functional electrical stimula- tion for paraplegic cycling. An integrated two-loop feedback control strategy is proposed, in which the electric motor is driven to provide feedback con- trol of cycling speed, and the cyclist's leg power is controlled by automatic variation of stimulation intensity. Representative experimental results are presented for one complete-lesion paraplegic sub- ject. The results show accurate feedback control of: cycle cadence; leg power; and external distur- bance rejection. We conclude that the addition of electric motor assist, with an integrated feedback control strategy, can compensate for external dis- turbances, it can greatly increase the overall power output and thereby signicantly extend the range of operation, and it can provide optimal operating conditions for the stimulated muscles.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: UNSPECIFIED
• Authors: Hunt, K.J., Stone, B., Negaard, N.-O., Schauer, T., and Fraser, M.H.
• Subjects: Q Science > QM Human anatomy; T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy