Optimization of the Compliant Drive Mechanism for a Prosthetic Ankle

Designers of powered ankle prosthetics face the challenge of synthesizing a suitable means of actuating the ankle joint while keeping prosthetic mass low. The mass of the motor can be reduced by decreasing the amount of torque it must provide which can be accomplished by the design of an effective driving mechanism. In this paper, we outline a method for designing a compliant four-bar mechanism for minimizing the maximum torque required of the motor. We demonstrate a workflow for using human subject walking data to create a prosthetic drive mechanism tailored to the specific bio-mechanics of the dataset, and that the algorithm can be applied across a variety of gaits to create a prosthetic appropriate for both walking and running.