Publications (4)0 Total impact
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we present the conceptual design of a fully-passive transfemoral prosthesis. The design is inspired by the power flow in human gait in order to have an energy efficient device. The working principle of the conceptual mechanism is based on three storage elements, which are responsible of the energetic coupling between the knee and the ankle joints. Design parameters of the prosthesis have been determined according to the energy absorption intervals of the human gait. Simulation results shows that the power flow of the system is comparable with human data. Finally, an initial prototype is presented as proof of concept.
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we present the conceptual design of a fully-passive transfemoral prosthesis. The proposed design is inspired by the analysis of the musculo-skeletal activity of the healthy human leg. In order to realize an energy efficient device, we introduce three storage elements, which are responsible of the energetic coupling between the knee and the ankle joints. Simulation results show that the power storage of the designed conceptual prosthesis is comparable with the human gait.
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ABSTRACT: In this paper, we present the prototype realization of the conceptual design of a fully-passive transfemoral prosthesis. The working principle has been inspired by the power flow in human gait so to achieve an energy efficient device. The main goal of this paper is to validate the concept by implementing in a real prototype. The prototype, in scale 1 ∶ 2 with respect to the average dimensions of an adult human, is based on two storage elements, which are responsible for the energetic coupling between the knee and ankle joints during the swing phase and for the energy storage during the stance phase. The design parameters of the prototype are determined according to the human body and the energetic characteristics of the gait. The construction of the prototype is explained in details together with a test setup that has been built to evaluate the prototype.
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ABSTRACT: In this paper, we provide a port-based mathematical framework for analyzing and modeling variable stiffness actuators. The framework provides important insights in the energy requirements and, therefore, it is an important tool for the design of energy efficient variable stiffness actuators. Based on new insights gained from this approach, a novel conceptual actuator is presented. Simulations show that the apparent output stiffness of this actuator can be dynamically changed in an energy efficient way.
