An Automatically Adjusting Dynamic Orthosis to Enhance Performance of Warfighters with Lower Limb Injury
Abstract
The focus in Year 1 was on hiring personnel, generating new adjustable strut designs that overcame limitations in prior efforts, and testing performance in users walking on a treadmill. Mechanical testing machine results showed that a high range in PDE strut stiffness was achieved, spanning the range of stiffness adjustment expected during clinical use. In laboratory testing on able-bodied people, we demonstrated that the bending signal from strain gages bonded to the strut was comparable to the ankle angle measured using a rotary encoder mounted to the orthosis. Treadmill testing on able-bodied users showed a linear relationship between strut spacing and stance phase maximum strain gage bending. The slope of this relationship changed a meaningful amount when users relaxed their ankle during walking, suggesting a dependence on user physical ankle strength. This result suggests that the strain gage bending data will provide a meaningful signal for creating the control system for automated stiffness adjustment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1156588
Entities
People
- Joan E Sanders
- Joseph L. Garbini
Organizations
- University of Washington