Modular Ankle-Foot Orthosis with Split-Toe Plate for Gait Personalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable robotic ankle-foot orthoses lack personalized designs to accommodate individual anthropometry and gait biomechanics, limiting their effectiveness in rehabilitation and mobility assistance for diverse user needs.
Innovation Solution
A modular robotic ankle-foot orthosis with active plantarflexion and inversion/eversion supports, utilizing hybrid materials like carbon fiber composites and compliant structures, combined with Human-In-the-Loop optimization techniques for personalized control parameters based on biofeedback and physiological responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wearable robotic ankle-foot orthoses are designed with fixed structures, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to individual anthropometry and gait biomechanics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The orthosis is divided into multiple modular components including a calf shell, foot plate, ankle joint mechanism, and adjustable strapping system. Each module can be independently manufactured and then assembled, allowing standardization of production while enabling customization through different module combinations and adjustments to fit individual user anatomy and gait patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The orthosis incorporates dynamic elements such as adjustable strapping systems, movable ankle joint mechanisms, and configurable torque settings that allow the device to adapt to individual user characteristics. These dynamic features enable the same base structure to be customized for different anthropometry and gait biomechanics without requiring complete redesigns.
2Reliability
If robotic systems are customized for each individual, then rehabilitation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The orthosis employs a universal control system that can accommodate multiple user profiles and rehabilitation protocols through software configuration rather than hardware redesign. The device includes programmable torque settings, adjustable gait patterns, and configurable assistance levels that allow one physical platform to serve multiple personalized rehabilitation needs, maintaining effectiveness while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Personalization is achieved by adjusting controllable parameters such as torque magnitude, gait phase timing, assistance levels, and joint angle limits rather than changing the physical structure. This allows extensive customization for different users and rehabilitation stages while maintaining a standardized device design, thereby improving rehabilitation effectiveness without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to ankle-foot orthosis systems and methods. One such system comprises an ankle-foot orthosis wearable device having a split-toe plate design comprising dual unidirectional actuation, wherein the split-toe plate design comprises a left and right toe plates; an off-board actuator system configured to independently move the left and right toe plates, wherein the off-board actuator system is in mechanical communication with the ankle-foot orthosis wearable device via mechanical cables; and a controller hardware device configured to deliver control signals to the off-board actuator system and correct a plantarflexion or inversion-eversion torque of a human ankle in real time during an activity session based on activity skill levels analyzed via the off-board controller hardware device and data received from ankle angle sensors or the load cell sensors at an earlier time. The present disclosure further includes systems and methods for a personalization framework for wearable robots.