Prosthetic legs move using a variety of mechanisms, often involving the user's own muscle activity, sensors, and powered components. One of the most recent advancements involves harnessing the power of existing limb muscles.
Muscle-Controlled Prosthetics
This technology directly leverages the user's existing muscle contractions to control the prosthetic limb.
- Electrodes and Signal Detection: Electrodes are placed on the skin of the residual limb. These electrodes detect the electrical signals generated by muscle contractions.
- Signal Transmission: According to the reference, "When electrodes are placed on the skin, it reads the muscle contractions and sends signals to the limb to move". These signals are transmitted to the prosthetic limb's control system.
- Limb Movement: The control system interprets these signals and instructs the motors and actuators within the prosthetic limb to move in a corresponding manner, mimicking the intended movement.
In essence, the prosthetic leg becomes an extension of the user's own nervous and muscular systems, allowing for more intuitive and natural control. Other types of prosthetic legs may also utilize microprocessors, sensors, and powered components to mimic natural gait.
