Design and Validation of a Two-Degree-of-Freedom Powered Ankle-Foot Orthosis with Two Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

Mechatronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 102469
Author(s):  
Ho Seon Choi ◽  
Chang Hee Lee ◽  
Yoon Su Baek
Keyword(s):  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Pneumatic Artificial Muscles ◽  
Two Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Foot Orthosis

PROPULSION SYSTEM WITH PNEUMATIC ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES FOR POWERING ANKLE-FOOT ORTHOSIS

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivanka Veneva ◽  
Bram Vanderborght ◽  
Dirk Lefeber ◽  
Pierre Cherelle
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Position Control ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Joint Torque ◽  
Joint Control ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Pneumatic Artificial Muscles ◽  
Foot Orthosis

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present the design of device for control of new propulsion system with pneumatic artificial muscles. The propulsion system can be used for ankle joint articulation, for assisting and rehabilitation in cases of injured ankle-foot complex, stroke patients or elderly with functional weakness. Proposed device for control is composed by microcontroller, generator for muscles contractions and sensor system. The microcontroller receives the control signals from sensors and modulates ankle joint flex- ion and extension during human motion. The local joint control with a PID (Proportional-Integral Derivative) position feedback directly calculates desired pressure levels and dictates the necessary contractions. The main goal is to achieve an adaptation of the system and provide the necessary joint torque using position control with feedback.

Design of a Novel Two Degree-of-Freedom Ankle-Foot Orthosis

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 1137-1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Agrawal ◽  
Vivek Sangwan ◽  
Sai K. Banala ◽  
Sunil K. Agrawal ◽  
Stuart A. Binder-Macleod
Keyword(s):  
Tibialis Anterior Muscle ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Walking Pattern ◽  
Joint Forces ◽  
Flexion Extension ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Two Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Foot Orthosis ◽  
Ankle Dorsiflexor

An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is commonly used to help subjects with weakness of ankle dorsiflexor muscles due to peripheral or central nervous system disorders. Both these disorders are due to the weakness of the tibialis anterior muscle, which results in the lack of dorsiflexion assist moment. The deformity and muscle, weakness of one joint in the lower extremity influences the stability of the adjacent joints, thereby requiring compensatory adaptations. We present an innovative ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). The prototype AFO would introduce greater functionality over currently marketed devices by means of its pronation-supination degree of freedom in addition to flexion/extension. This orthosis can be used to measure joint forces and moments applied by the human at both joints. In the future, by incorporation of actuators in the device, it will be used as a training device to restore a normal walking pattern.

Development of an Active Walker and its Effect

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Kobayashi ◽  
◽  
Takuya Hashimoto ◽  
So Nakayama ◽  
Kazutaka Irie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscular Strength ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
The Body ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Risk Of Falling ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Human Child ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Right ◽  
Foot Orthosis

In Japan alone, more than one million people have walking difficulties. The many kinds of walker being developed thus far for gait training are used by grasping the front and/or back in order to balance the body. This requires tilting the upper half of the body forward or backward, making it difficult to keep the right posture for walking. There are moreover few examples of an active walker that is used if people have no muscular strength for walking. In order to deal with these issues, we have been developing an active walker using the HartWalker which consists of a double upright knee-ankle-foot orthosis and a 4-wheeled carriage with a stem located in the center of the carriage. Since the waist of the orthosis is attached to the top of the stem, there is no risk of falling, it is possible to keep the right posture, and both hands become completely free. McKibben artificial muscles are attached to the Hart Walker in order to control the gait as an active walker. In walking experiments using a child-size doll with the same kinds of joints and weight that a human child has, we confirmed that a humanlike gait is realized by the active walker we developed. Many patients who have different kinds of disease are using it and we have confirmed that all of them can walk by using the active walker. The active walker is now commercially available.

Design and Initial Validation of a Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Joint for an Ankle-Foot Orthosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Elery ◽  
Emma Reznick ◽  
Staci Shearin ◽  
Karen McCain ◽  
Robert D. Gregg
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Knee Flexion ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
Lower Limb Muscles ◽  
Walking Speeds ◽  
Novel Design ◽  
Foot Orthosis

Abstract This paper presents the novel design of a Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom joint (M-DOF) for an Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) that aims to improve upon the commercially available Double Action Joint (DAJ). The M-DOF is designed to maintain the functionality of the DAJ, while increasing dorsiflexion stiffness and introducing inversion/eversion. This increase in range of motion is designed to produce greater engagement from lower limb muscles during gait. The M-DOF was experimentally validated with one able-bodied and one stroke subject. Across walking speeds, the M-DOF AFO minimally affected the able-bodied subject's joint kinematics. The stroke subject's ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion and knee flexion were not heavily altered when wearing the M-DOF AFO, compared to the DAJ AFO. The new DOF allowed by the M-DOF AFO increased the inversion/eversion of the ankle by ~3°, without introducing any new compensations compared to their gait with the DAJ AFO.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document