Lower limb prostheses offer a solution to restore the ambulation and self-esteem of amputees. One key component is the prosthetic socket that serves as the interface between prosthetic device and amputee stump and thereby has a wide range of impacts on efficient fitting, appropriate load transmission, operational stability, and control. For the design and optimization of a prosthetic socket, an understanding of the actual intra-socket operational conditions becomes therefore necessary. This is however a difficult task due to the inherent complexity and restricted observability of socket operation. In this study, an innovative mechatronics-twin framework that integrates advanced biomechanical models and simulations with physical prototyping and dynamic operation testing for effective exploration of operational behaviors of prosthetic sockets with amputees is proposed. Within this framework, a specific Stewart manipulator is developed to enable dynamic operation testing, in particular for a well-managed generation of dynamic intra-socket loads and behaviors that are otherwise difficult to observe or realize with the real amputees. A combination of deep learning and Bayesian Inference algorithms is then employed for analyzing the intra-socket load conditions and revealing possible anomalous.

A Stewart platform is a six-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator widely used as the motion base for flight simulators and antenna positioning systems, among others. This work presents a novel mechatronics-twin framework that integrates such a manipulator with advanced biomechanical models and simulations for effective exploration of operational behaviors of prosthetic sockets with amputees. By means of the biomechanical models and simulations, the framework allows the users to first analyze the fundamental operational characteristics of individual amputees according to their specific body geometries, pelvis-femur structures, and sizes of transfemoral sockets. Such operational characteristics are then fed to one Stewart platform as the reference control signals for the generation of dynamic loads and behaviors of prosthetic sockets that are otherwise difficult to observe or realize with the real amputees. Experiments in form of integration testing show that the proposed control strategy is capable of generating expected dynamic operational conditions. Currently, the mechatronics-twin framework supports a wide range of biomechanical configurations and the quantification of the respective intra-socket load conditions for socket design optimization and anomaly detection.

Condition-awareness regarding electrical and electronic components is not only significant for predictive maintenance of automotive vehicles but also plays a crucial role in ensuring the operational safety by supporting the detection of anomalies, faults, and degradations over lifetime. In this paper, we present a novel control strategy that combines stochastic dynamic control method with condition-awareness for safe automated driving. In particular, the effectiveness of condition-awareness is supported by two distinct condition-monitoring functions. The first function involves the monitoring of a vehicle's internal health condition using model-based approaches. The second function involves the monitoring of a vehicle's external surrounding conditions, using machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches. For the quantification of current conditions, the results from these monitoring functions are used to create system health indices, which are then utilized by a safety control function for dynamic behavior regulation. The design of this safety control function is based on a chance-constrained model predictive control model, combined with a control barrier function for ensuring safe operation. The novelty of the proposed method lies in a systematic integration of monitored external and internal conditions, estimated component degradation, and remaining useful life, with the controller's dynamic responsiveness. The efficacy of the proposed strategy is evaluated with adaptive cruise control in the presence of various sensory uncertainties.