Control systems and methods for gait devices

1. A method of controlling a user mobility assistance device, comprising:

measuring a physical state of a mobile body of the user mobility assistance device or the user;

transforming the physical state of the mobile body into a measured attribute of the mobile body;

implementing a reference function based on a reference user's mobility, wherein the reference function includes a three dimensional (3D) surface that correlates attributes of the reference user's mobility;

applying the measured attribute of the mobile body to the reference function to generate a reference command by determining a position on the 3D surface based on the measured attribute of the mobile body to control the user mobility assistance device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transforming the physical state involves changing to a coordinate system for the measured attribute of the mobile body having a different number of dimensions than the physical state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transforming the physical state includes changing to a coordinate system of measured attributes of stride length and gait percent.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured attribute of the mobile body includes stride length or gait percent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein implementing the reference function includes:

measuring a physical state of an able-bodied human;

transforming the physical state of the able-bodied human into the attributes of reference user mobility; and

generating the surface representing operation of the user mobility assistance device with the attributes of reference user mobility.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference command maintains a continuous output from the surface phase locked to the measured attribute of the mobile body.

7. A method of controlling a user mobility assistance device, comprising:

measuring a physical state of a mobile body of the user mobility assistance device or the user to obtain a physical state measurement;

transforming the physical state measurement into a measured attribute of the mobile body;

implementing a reference function based on a reference user's mobility, wherein the reference function includes a three dimensional (3D) surface correlating attributes of reference user's mobility; and

applying the measured attribute of the mobile body to the reference function to generate a reference command by determining a position on the 3D surface based on the measured attribute of the mobile body to control the user mobility assistance device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including conditioning the physical state measurement prior to applying the measured attribute of the mobile body to the reference function.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mobile body includes a limb of a user or a robotic device.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the reference function includes:

measuring a physical state of an able-bodied human;

transforming the physical state of the able-bodied human into the attributes of reference user mobility; and

generating the 3D surface representing operation of the user mobility assistance device with the attributes of reference user mobility.

11. The method of claim 10 , further including actuating an actuator to control the user mobility assistance in response to the reference command.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein transforming the physical state measurement involves changing to a coordinate system for the measured attribute of the mobile body having a different number of dimensions than the physical state measurement.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the measured attribute of gait activity include stride length or gait percent.

14. A method of controlling a gait device, comprising:

sensing a physical state of a mobile body of the gait device or a user of the gait device in response to gait activity to obtain a physical state measurement;

conditioning the physical state measurement to provide a conditioned state measurement;

transforming the conditioned state measurement into a measured attribute of the gait activity;

implementing a reference function based on an able-bodied gait activity, wherein the reference function includes a three dimensional (3D) surface correlating attributes of the able-bodied gait activity;

applying the measured attribute of gait activity to the reference function to generate a reference command by determining a position on the 3D surface based on the measured attribute of gait activity; and

controlling the gait device with the reference command.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing the reference function includes:

measuring a physical state of an able-bodied human;

transforming the physical state of the able-bodied human into the attributes of able-bodied gait activity; and

generating the 3D surface representing operation of the gait device with the attributes of able-bodied gait activity.

16. The method of claim 15 , further including controlling the gait device by moving an actuator in response to the reference command.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein transforming the conditioned state measurement involves changing to a coordinate system for the measured attribute of gait activity having a different number of dimensions than the conditioned state measurement.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein transforming the conditioned state measurement includes changing to a coordinate system of measured attributes of stride length and gait percent.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the measured attribute of gait activity include stride length or gait percent.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reference command maintains a continuous output from the 3D surface phase locked to the measured attribute of gait activity.

21. A method of controlling a gait device using a control system within the gait device, comprising:

disposing a first sensor on a first mobile body of the gait device or a user of the gait device;

measuring a physical state of the first mobile body in response to a gait activity using the first sensor to obtain a first physical state measurement of the gait activity;

disposing a second sensor on a second mobile body;

measuring a physical state of the second mobile body in response to the gait activity using the second sensor to obtain a second physical state measurement of the gait activity;

conditioning the first physical state measurement and second physical state measurement to provide a first conditioned state measurement and a second conditioned state measurement;

transforming the first conditioned state measurement and second conditioned state measurement by changing to a coordinate system of measured attributes of stride length and gait percent;

implementing a reference function within the control system based on a normal gait activity, wherein the reference function is a three dimensional (3D) surface correlating attributes of normal gait activity;

applying the measured attributes of stride length and gait percent to the reference function to generate a reference command by determining a position on the 3D surface from the measured attributes of stride length and gait percent, wherein the reference command maintains a continuous output from the 3D surface phase locked to the measured attributes of stride length and gait percent; and

controlling the gait device with the reference command.

22. The method of claim 21 , further including converting units of measure of the first physical state measurement and second physical state measurement.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein measuring the physical state of the first mobile body includes measuring a kinematic state or loading state of the first mobile body.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein implementing the reference function includes:

measuring a physical state of an able-bodied human;

transforming the physical state of the able-bodied human into the attributes of normal gait activity; and

generating the 3D surface representing operation of the gait device with the attributes of normal gait activity.

25. The method of claim 24 , further including controlling the gait device by moving an actuator in response to the reference command.