A prosthetic leg having an electronically controlled regenerative
prosthetic knee. In certain embodiments of the present invention the knee
may be passive, whereby it is used only to generate electrical energy. In
other embodiments, the knee may be active, whereby it can be used to
assist with or completely control gait, as well as to generate electrical
energy. The knee makes use of an actuator motor/generator to control gait
and/or to generate electrical energy. An electronic control system is
provided to control overall operation of the prosthetic leg, to
distribute generated electrical energy, and to transfer excess electrical
energy to one or more storage devices for later use. A prosthetic leg of
the present invention having an active prosthetic knee may be especially
helpful in assisting an amputee with activities that impart a high torque
load to the knee joint.