Work

Application of the Actor-Critic Architecture to Functional Electrical Stimulation Control of a Human Arm.

Year: 2009

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Clinical tests have shown that the dynamics of a human arm, controlled using Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), can vary significantly between and during trials. In this paper, we study the application of the actor-critic architecture, with neural networks for the both the actor and the critic, as a controller that can adapt to these changing dynamics of a human arm. Development and tests were done in simulation using a planar arm model and Hill-based muscle dynamics. We begin by training it using a Proportional Derivative (PD) controller as a supervisor. We then make clinically relevant changes to the dynamics of the arm and test the actor-critic's ability to adapt without supervision in a reasonable number of episodes. Finally, we devise methods for achieving both rapid learning and long-term stability.

Source: PubMed

Authors: Philip Thomas, Michael Branicky, Antonie van den Bogert, Kathleen Jagodnik

Institution: Case Western Reserve University

Language: English

Topic: Adaptive Dynamic Programming Control

Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: INTELLIGENT CONTROL OF UPPER EXTREMITY NEURAL PROSTHESES, Upper Extremity Control Using Reinforcement Learning