Variable Heel Stiffness Prosthetic Foot
Problem statement
Passive ankle prosthetics do not effectively replace the lost limb because problems with unnatural movement and joint stress cause rampant injuries in the amputee population. Fully-active prosthetics can remove the unbalanced and harmful movement of the wearer. However, these solutions are limited due to their price, battery life, and weight. There is therefore a need to develop a semi-active prosthetic which can adapt to the movement of the wearer and allow for healthier, natural motion. A prosthetic like this would have to also be low in weight, reasonable in price, and have a long enough battery life to be able to be used all day.
Team members
Paul Slaughter – leader
Carolos Veguilla – communicator
Thomas Laidlaw – accountant
Ben Halverson – admin
Shan Gill (Graduated)
Client
Peter Adamczyk, UW-Madison