Development of concepts to adapt the dynamic behaviour of external lower limb prostheses

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People with lower limb amputation have the need for an appropriate substitute of their lost limb that allows a natural gait in diverse situations. The application of mechatronic approaches led to extended functionality and increased comfort for the users in the last two decades. Nevertheless there still is a big potential for future developments and optimizations. The proposed project aims at the develop-ment of solutions that enable a higher agility in dynamic gait situations and satisfy the users’ need for security. Such solutions support active users in developing a more dynamical locomotion (e.g., fast walking on uneven ground, turning/cornering) and deliver less active users – like elderly people – more security in critical situations (e.g., stumbling). For that purpose, the Institute for Mechatronic Systems in Mechanical Engineering of TU Darmstadt (IMS) and its partner Blatchford Product Limited (BPL) pool their competences. IMS contributes its expertise in mechatronic control, holistic mechatronic system design and the setup of prototypes. This is supported by BPL’s biomechanical experience as well as its practical competences in biomimetic design and clinical testing. Based on an analysis of biomechanical studies, relevant degrees of freedom will be identified in this project. Subsequently, control and design concepts for systems supporting dynamic movements of these by adaptation will be developed and evolved to prototypes. In the last part of the project, final system definitions will be elaborated based on experimental, biomechanical and clinical evaluations.