A lightweight robotic leg prosthesis replicating the biomechanics of the knee, ankle, and toe joint.

ABSTRACT: Robotic leg prostheses promise to improve the mobility and quality of life of millions of individuals with lower-limb amputations by imitating the biomechanics of the missing biological leg. Unfortunately, existing powered prostheses are much heavier and bigger and have shorter battery life than conventional passive prostheses, severely limiting their clinical viability and utility in the daily life of amputees. Here, we present a robotic leg prosthesis that replicates the key biomechanical functions of the biological knee, ankle, and toe in the sagittal plane while matching the weight, size, and battery life of conventional microprocessor-controlled prostheses. The powered knee joint uses a unique torque-sensitive mechanism combining the benefits of elastic actuators with that of variable

SUBMITTER: Tran M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9894662 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature