A prosthetic leg with the most realistic foot

When a person walks on an uneven surface,full of potholes and stones, feet help him to properly distribute the load and maintain balance. The ankle and toes are more responsible for this, but the prosthetic legs cannot boast the presence of such moving parts. This problem was relevant until researchers at Stanford University created a structure that responds to bumps like a real foot and prevents limping.

The designed prosthesis has three rubber points.contact with the surface - two front "socks", and one back "heel". Thanks to the built-in pressure sensors applied to these points, the electric toes and heel independently move up and down, distributing the load and maintaining maximum prosthesis contact with the road irregularities. In addition to the sensors, the prosthesis is equipped with a gyroscope, which helps to determine the location of the foot, as well as springing the foot at the end of each step.

New prosthetic leg will prevent limping

At the very beginning of the study, the prosthesis was testedonly inside a computer simulation. She imitated the gait of a real person, and let the developers know how the prosthesis would behave. After the virtual tests, the prosthesis was tested by a volunteer with an amputated leg - the course and the result of the study can be seen on video.

Researchers hope that thanks to thisthe invention will create the most realistic prosthetic legs. The main thing in this business is to preserve their reasonable cost, because expensive dentures are not available to everyone.

Unlike prosthetic legs, artificial armsimproved with more activity. In early 2019, engineers from Integrum AB and the Chalmers Institute of Technology created a robotic arm that can touch objects. You can read more about it in our material.

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