A powered orthotic system includes a wearable component having a brace, an EEG sensor, an electrically powered actuator assembly in communication with the EEG sensor, and a controller in communication with the actuator assembly that provides system parameters to control operation of the actuator assembly. The system also includes a control unit in communication with the wearable component. The control unit includes a processor that modifies the system parameters in the controller and a user interface, in communication with the processor, that permits user selection of the system parameters. The control unit includes an auto-calibration mode in which an initial EEG signal level is measured by the EEG sensor for one or more muscles of the user when the muscles are at-rest, and the initial EEG signal level is used to adjust an EEG signal level measured during subsequent operation of the wearable component.