Advances in robotics technology are enabling prosthetic feet to mimic the natural function of human feet and improve mobility for amputees. Researchers at The Ohio State University want to accelerate and optimize development of robotic prostheses through computer simulations.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Associate Professor Manoj Srinivasan and Graduate Research Associate Matthew Handford have developed a computer model of human-prosthesis interaction to produce a prediction of the user’s walking kinematics. Their work appears in the current issue of Nature Publishing’s Scientific Reports.

The researchers are currently working on detailed comparisons of their model predictions with data from robotic prosthesis users and trying to improve the accuracy of their predictions. Follow-on studies may focus on other measures of walking quality like stability and comfort.

This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation.
 

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Credit: The Ohio State University College of Engineering