A model of FES standing-up in paraplegics including upper limb interaction and closed-form dynamics

A computer model was developed to design and compare controllers for FES-assisted standing-up in paraplegics. The model features closed-form planar dynamics of the musculo-skeletal system and a fuzzy model of the voluntary arm forces. Preliminary results indicate that the model was able to predict arm forces required to stand up without electrical stimulation; demonstrate the importance of muscle training programs; confirm the requirement for arm forces for standing up even with FES; suggest that it may not be possible to track normal joint kinematics with muscle strengths obtained with present clinical FES conditioning regimes