Artificial Intelligence in Prosthetic Gait Assessment and Prosthesis Control: Present and Future

Optimal lower limb prosthesis plays a key role in rehabilitation to help restore walking ability following major limb amputations. The use of wearable sensors in prosthetic gait assessment offers a robust approach to analyze movement biomechanics of lower limb amputees in a variety of setups. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has opened up new perspectives in lower limb prosthetics, from gait monitoring and outcome assessment to advanced prosthesis control and integration. With the implementation of AI algorithms, analysis of prosthetic gait parameters is readily available to clinicians, while the control of active prosthesis produces gait patterns of higher accuracies. This chapter provides an overview of various uses of AI-based methods in ambulatory gait assessment of lower limb amputees. A highlight of AI models in high-level control systems for powered prostheses and the future development of smart prostheses are also included.