Methods, apparatuses and systems for amputee gait capacity assessment

Abstract

The present invention includes a tethered ankle-foot prosthesis emulator having two independently-actuated forefoot digits that are coordinated to provide plantarflexion and inversion-eversion torques, and an independently-actuated heel. An end-effector was designed which is worn by a subject, and which was integrated with off-board motor and control hardware, to facilitate high bandwidth torque control. The platform is suitable for haptic rendering of virtual devices in experiments with humans, which may reveal strategies for improving balance or allow controlled comparisons of conventional prosthesis features. A similar morphology is also effective for autonomous devices.