Collaborative Research: Bioinspired High Energy Recycling Mechanism Ankle Foot Prosthesis

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

Abstract

Persons with lower limb amputation rely on ankle foot prostheses for walking. An ideal ankle foot prosthesis has stiffness and energy return adjustment features that can optimally adapt its settings to allow for efficient gait in different environments and at various speeds. However, state-of-the-art ankle foot prostheses use conventional elastic components such as springs, carbon fiber blades, or beams that do not provide optimal energy return during gait. This study proposes an ankle foot prosthesis that integrates a high energy return mechanism to provide improved assistance and evaluates its impact on walking function for persons with lower limb amputation. The proposed research has the potential to improve the quality of life for the 2.1 million people with lower limb amputations in the United States. The project will also educate high school, undergraduate, and graduate students with outreach programs. This outreach program will focus on exploring engineering-related principles with the human musculoskeletal system and assistive devices. This will be done by demonstrating how motion capture systems can create muscle activation signals in real-time, and also demonstrating the usage of an open-source musculoskeletal simulation software to interpret these examples. The program will be presented through a week-long summer science camp at the University of Central Florida and Region V Mississippi Science & Engineering Fair program at Mississippi State University. The main motivation for this project is to develop a prosthetic device, completely distinguished from the current state-of-art prosthetic devices to decrease the excessive effort lower limb prosthetic device users require when walking. This project is the first attempt to employ this unique highly efficient energy recycling mechanism into a prosthetic device to enable optimal walking motions for persons with lower limb amputation. This study will also address the critical need for a lightweight semi-active ankle foot prosthesis that provides optimal stiffness and greater energy return at different walking speeds. To do this, a machine learning-based design optimization will be used to determine the curvatures and contours of the elastic spring of the prosthesis. The established elastic spring model will be evaluated with finite element analyses and bending tests. Then, participants with lower limb amputation will walk with the developed prosthesis to identify the efficacy of the prosthesis. Designing a prosthetic device that meets these critical needs will not only identify the impact of stiffness on walking and musculotendon function but also fill the clinical need for an efficient prosthesis for use in daily living. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.