scholarly journals Development of a Mechatronic Platform and Validation of Methods for Estimating Ankle Stiffness During the Stance Phase of Walking

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott J. Rouse ◽  
Levi J. Hargrove ◽  
Eric J. Perreault ◽  
Michael A. Peshkin ◽  
Todd A. Kuiken
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Joint Torque ◽  
Average Error ◽  
Prosthetic Foot ◽  
Ankle Impedance ◽  
Ankle Stiffness ◽  
Human Ankle

The mechanical properties of human joints (i.e., impedance) are constantly modulated to precisely govern human interaction with the environment. The estimation of these properties requires the displacement of the joint from its intended motion and a subsequent analysis to determine the relationship between the imposed perturbation and the resultant joint torque. There has been much investigation into the estimation of upper-extremity joint impedance during dynamic activities, yet the estimation of ankle impedance during walking has remained a challenge. This estimation is important for understanding how the mechanical properties of the human ankle are modulated during locomotion, and how those properties can be replicated in artificial prostheses designed to restore natural movement control. Here, we introduce a mechatronic platform designed to address the challenge of estimating the stiffness component of ankle impedance during walking, where stiffness denotes the static component of impedance. The system consists of a single degree of freedom mechatronic platform that is capable of perturbing the ankle during the stance phase of walking and measuring the response torque. Additionally, we estimate the platform's intrinsic inertial impedance using parallel linear filters and present a set of methods for estimating the impedance of the ankle from walking data. The methods were validated by comparing the experimentally determined estimates for the stiffness of a prosthetic foot to those measured from an independent testing machine. The parallel filters accurately estimated the mechatronic platform's inertial impedance, accounting for 96% of the variance, when averaged across channels and trials. Furthermore, our measurement system was found to yield reliable estimates of stiffness, which had an average error of only 5.4% (standard deviation: 0.7%) when measured at three time points within the stance phase of locomotion, and compared to the independently determined stiffness values of the prosthetic foot. The mechatronic system and methods proposed in this study are capable of accurately estimating ankle stiffness during the foot-flat region of stance phase. Future work will focus on the implementation of this validated system in estimating human ankle impedance during the stance phase of walking.

Estimation of the 2-DOF Time-Varying Impedance of the Human Ankle

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evandro Ficanha ◽  
Guilherme Aramizo Ribeiro ◽  
Lauren Knop ◽  
Mohammad Rastgaar Aagaah
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Impedance Control ◽  
The Body ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Ankle Impedance ◽  
Impedance Modulation ◽  
Human Ankle ◽  
Vibrating Platform

The human ankle plays a major role in locomotion as it the first major joint to transfer the ground reaction torques to the rest of the body while providing power for locomotion and stability. One of the main causes of the ankle impedance modulation is muscle activation [1, 2], which can tune the ankle’s stiffness and damping during the stance phase of gait. The ankle’s time-varying impedance is also task dependent, meaning that different activities such as walking at different speeds, turning, and climbing/descending stairs would impose different profiles of time-varying impedance modulation. The impedance control is commonly used in the control of powered ankle-foot prostheses; however, the information on time-varying impedance of the ankle during the stance phase is limited in the literature. The only previous study during the stance phase, to the best of the authors knowledge, reported the human ankle impedance at four points of the stance phase in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (DP) [1] during walking. To expand previous work and estimate the impedance in inversion-eversion (IE), a vibrating platform was fabricated (Fig. 1) [3]. The platform allows the ankle impedance to be estimated at 250 Hz in both DP and IE, including combined rotations in both degrees of freedom (DOF) simultaneously. The results can be used in a 2-DOF powered ankle-foot prosthesis developed by the authors, which is capable of mimicking the ankle kinetics and kinematics in the frontal and sagittal planes [4]. The vibrating platform can also be used to tune the prosthesis to assure it properly mimics the human ankle dynamics. This paper describes the results of the preliminary experiments using the vibrating platform on 4 male subjects. For the first time, the time-varying impedance of the human ankle in both DP and IE during walking in a straight line are reported.

Development of a Bimodal Ankle-Foot Prosthesis for Walking and Standing/Swaying

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Hansen ◽  
Eric A. Nickel
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Mechanical Stability ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Prosthetic Foot ◽  
Human Ankle ◽  
Body Center ◽  
Impaired Balance ◽  
Prosthetic Feet ◽  
Lower Height

The human ankle-foot system conforms to a circular effective rocker shape for walking, but to a much flatter effective shape for standing and swaying. Many persons with lower limb amputations have impaired balance and reduced balance confidence, and may benefit from prostheses designed to provide flatter effective rocker shapes during standing and swaying tasks. This paper describes the development and testing of an ankle-foot prosthesis prototype that provides distinctly different mechanical properties for walking and standing/swaying. The prototype developed was a single-axis prosthetic foot with a lockable ankle for added stability during standing and swaying. The bimodal ankle-foot prosthesis prototype was tested on pseudoprostheses (walking boots with prosthetic feet beneath) for walking and standing/swaying loads, and was compared to an Otto Bock single-axis prosthetic foot and to able-bodied data collected in a previous study. The height-normalized radius of the effective rocker shape for walking with the bimodal ankle-foot prototype was equal to that found earlier for able-bodied persons (0.17); the standing and swaying effective shape had a lower height-normalized radius (0.70) compared with that previously found for able-bodied persons (1.11). The bimodal ankle-foot prosthesis prototype had a similar radius as the Otto Bock single-axis prosthetic foot for the effective rocker shape for walking (0.17 for both), but had a much larger radius for standing and swaying (0.70 for bimodal, 0.34 for single-axis). The results suggest that the bimodal ankle-foot prosthesis prototype provides two distinct modes, including a biomimetic effective rocker shape for walking and an inherently stable base for standing and swaying. The radius of the prototype's effective rocker shape for standing/swaying suggests that it may provide inherent mechanical stability to a prosthesis user, since the radius is larger than the typical body center of mass’s distance from the floor (between 50–60% of height). Future testing is warranted to determine if the bimodal ankle-foot prosthesis will increase balance and balance confidence in prosthesis users.

The effects of common footwear on stance-phase mechanical properties of the prosthetic foot-shoe system

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Major ◽  
Joel Scham ◽  
Michael Orendurff
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Clinical Relevance ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Mechanical Characteristics ◽  
Mechanical Characterization ◽  
Test Machine ◽  
Mechanical Function ◽  
Prosthetic Foot ◽  
Prosthetic Feet

Background:Prosthetic feet are prescribed based on their mechanical function and user functional level. Subtle changes to the stiffness and hysteresis of heel, midfoot, and forefoot regions can influence the dynamics and economy of gait in prosthesis users. However, the user’s choice of shoes may alter the prosthetic foot-shoe system mechanical characteristics, compromising carefully prescribed and rigorously engineered performance of feet.Objectives:Observe the effects of footwear on the mechanical properties of the prosthetic foot-shoe system including commonly prescribed prosthetic feet.Study design:Repeated-measures, Mechanical characterization.Methods:The stiffness and energy return was measured using a hydraulic-driven materials test machine across combinations of five prosthetic feet and four common shoes as well as a barefoot condition.Results:Heel energy return decreased by an average 4%–9% across feet in all shoes compared to barefoot, with a cushioned trainer displaying the greatest effect. Foot designs that may improve perceived stability by providing low heel stiffness and rapid foot-flat were compromised by the addition of shoes.Conclusion:Shoes altered prosthesis mechanical characteristics in the sagittal and frontal planes, suggesting that shoe type should be controlled or reported in research comparing prostheses. Understanding of how different shoes could alter certain gait-related characteristics of prostheses may aid decisions on footwear made by clinicians and prosthesis users.Clinical relevanceShoes can alter function of the prosthetic foot-shoe system in unexpected and sometimes undesirable ways, often causing similar behavior across setups despite differences in foot design, and prescribing clinicians should carefully consider these effects on prosthesis performance.

scholarly journals Estimation of Human Ankle Impedance During the Stance Phase of Walking

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 870-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott J. Rouse ◽  
Levi J. Hargrove ◽  
Eric J. Perreault ◽  
Todd A. Kuiken
Keyword(s):  
Stance Phase ◽  
Ankle Impedance ◽  
Human Ankle

scholarly journals Development of Al–Mg–Si alloy performance by addition of grain refiner Al–5Ti–1B alloy

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 003685042110294
Author(s):  
Khaled Abd El-Aziz ◽  
Emad M Ahmed ◽  
Abdulaziz H Alghtani ◽  
Bassem F Felemban ◽  
Hafiz T Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Corrosion Resistance ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Dendritic Structure ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Corrosion Properties ◽  
Average Grain Size ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Alloy Addition

Aluminum alloys are the most essential part of all shaped castings manufactured, mainly in the automotive, food industry, and structural applications. There is little consensus as to the precise relationship between grain size after grain refinement and corrosion resistance; conflicting conclusions have been published showing that reduced grain size can decrease or increase corrosion resistance. The effect of Al–5Ti–1B grain refiner (GR alloy) with different percentages on the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of Aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy (Al–Mg–Si) was studied. The average grain size is determined according to the E112ASTM standard. The compressive test specimens were made as per ASTM: E8/E8M-16 standard to get their compressive properties. The bulk hardness using Vickers hardness testing machine at a load of 50 g. Electrochemical corrosion tests were carried out in 3.5 % NaCl solution using Autolab Potentiostat/Galvanostat (PGSTAT 30).The grain size of the Al–Mg–Si alloy was reduced from 82 to 46 µm by the addition of GR alloy. The morphology of α-Al dendrites changes from coarse dendritic structure to fine equiaxed grains due to the addition of GR alloy and segregation of Ti, which controls the growth of primary α-Al. In addition, the mechanical properties of the Al–Mg–Si alloy were improved by GR alloy addition. GR alloy addition to Al–Mg–Si alloy produced fine-grained structure and better hardness and compressive strength. The addition of GR alloy did not reveal any marked improvements in the corrosion properties of Al–Mg–Si alloy.

scholarly journals Acoustic Emission and K-S Metric Entropy as Methods for Determining Mechanical Properties of Composite Materials

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Lesław Kyzioł ◽  
Katarzyna Panasiuk ◽  
Grzegorz Hajdukiewicz ◽  
Krzysztof Dudzik
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Acoustic Emission ◽  
Composite Material ◽  
Composite Materials ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Entropy Method ◽  
Displacement Sensor ◽  
Metric Entropy ◽  
Plastic Phase

Due to the unique properties of polymer composites, these materials are used in many industries, including shipbuilding (hulls of boats, yachts, motorboats, cutters, ship and cooling doors, pontoons and floats, torpedo tubes and missiles, protective shields, antenna masts, radar shields, and antennas, etc.). Modern measurement methods and tools allow to determine the properties of the composite material, already during its design. The article presents the use of the method of acoustic emission and Kolmogorov-Sinai (K-S) metric entropy to determine the mechanical properties of composites. The tested materials were polyester-glass laminate without additives and with a 10% content of polyester-glass waste. The changes taking place in the composite material during loading were visualized using a piezoelectric sensor used in the acoustic emission method. Thanks to the analysis of the RMS parameter (root mean square of the acoustic emission signal), it is possible to determine the range of stresses at which significant changes occur in the material in terms of its use as a construction material. In the K-S entropy method, an important measuring tool is the extensometer, namely the displacement sensor built into it. The results obtained during the static tensile test with the use of an extensometer allow them to be used to calculate the K-S metric entropy. Many materials, including composite materials, do not have a yield point. In principle, there are no methods for determining the transition of a material from elastic to plastic phase. The authors showed that, with the use of a modern testing machine and very high-quality instrumentation to record measurement data using the Kolmogorov-Sinai (K-S) metric entropy method and the acoustic emission (AE) method, it is possible to determine the material transition from elastic to plastic phase. Determining the yield strength of composite materials is extremely important information when designing a structure.

scholarly journals Formation conditions and mechanical properties of aggregates produced in tephra–water–snow flows

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Niiya ◽  
Kenichi Oda ◽  
Daisuke Tsuji ◽  
Hiroaki Katsuragi
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Mixing Time ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Ice Slurry ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Formation Conditions ◽  
Snow And Ice

Abstract The formation of aggregates consisting of snow, water, and tephra has been reported in small-scale experiments on three-phase flows containing tephra, water, and snow, representing lahars triggered by snowmelt. Such aggregates reduce the mobility of mud flow. However, the formation mechanism of such aggregates under various conditions has not been investigated. To elucidate the formation conditions and mechanical properties of the aggregates, we performed mixing experiments with materials on a rotating table and compression tests on the resulting aggregates with a universal testing machine in a low-temperature room at $$0\,^{\circ }\text {C}$$ 0 ∘ C . From experiments with varying component ratios of the mixture and tephra diameter, the following results were obtained: (i) the aggregate grew rapidly and reached maturity after a mixing time of 5 min; (ii) the mass of aggregates increased with snow concentration, exhibiting an approximately linear relationship; (iii) single aggregates with large mass formed at lower and higher tephra concentrations, whereas multiple aggregates with smaller mass were observed at intermediate concentrations; (iv) the shape of the aggregate satisfied the similarity law for an ellipsoid; (v) the compressive mechanical behavior could be modeled by an empirical nonlinear model. The obtained mechanical properties of the aggregates were independent of the experimental conditions; (vi) scaling analysis based on the Reynolds number and the strength of the aggregates showed that the aggregates cannot form in ice-slurry lahars. Our findings suggest that low-speed lahars containing snow and ice are likely to generate aggregates, but snow and ice in the ice-slurry lahars are dispersed without such aggregates.

scholarly journals Influence of Rhamnolipids and Ionic Cross-Linking Conditions on the Mechanical Properties of Alginate Hydrogels as a Model Bacterial Biofilm

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6840
Author(s):  
Natalia Czaplicka ◽  
Szymon Mania ◽  
Donata Konopacka-Łyskawa
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Bacterial Biofilm ◽  
Ion Trapping ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Box Behnken Design ◽  
Compression Load ◽  
Alginate Hydrogels ◽  
Biofilm Structure

The literature indicates the existence of a relationship between rhamnolipids and bacterial biofilm, as well as the ability of selected bacteria to produce rhamnolipids and alginate. However, the influence of biosurfactant molecules on the mechanical properties of biofilms are still not fully understood. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of rhamnolipids concentration, CaCl2 concentration, and ionic cross-linking time on the mechanical properties of alginate hydrogels using a Box–Behnken design. The mechanical properties of cross-linked alginate hydrogels were characterized using a universal testing machine. It was assumed that the addition of rhamnolipids mainly affects the compression load, and the value of this parameter is lower for hydrogels produced with biosurfactant concentration below CMC than for hydrogels obtained in pure water. In contrast, the addition of rhamnolipids in an amount exceeding CMC causes an increase in compression load. In bacterial biofilms, the presence of rhamnolipid molecules does not exceed the CMC value, which may confirm the influence of this biosurfactant on the formation of the biofilm structure. Moreover, rhamnolipids interact with the hydrophobic part of the alginate copolymer chains, and then the hydrophilic groups of adsorbed biosurfactant molecules create additional calcium ion trapping sites.

scholarly journals Mechanical Properties of the Composite Material consisting of β-TCP and Alginate-Di-Aldehyde-Gelatin Hydrogel and Its Degradation Behavior

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1303
Author(s):  
Michael Seidenstuecker ◽  
Thomas Schmeichel ◽  
Lucas Ritschl ◽  
Johannes Vinke ◽  
Pia Schilling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Failure Load ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Flow Chamber ◽  
Degradation Behavior ◽  
Gelatin Hydrogel ◽  
Universal Testing

This work aimed to determine the influence of two hydrogels (alginate, alginate-di-aldehyde (ADA)/gelatin) on the mechanical strength of microporous ceramics, which have been loaded with these hydrogels. For this purpose, the compressive strength was determined using a Zwick Z005 universal testing machine. In addition, the degradation behavior according to ISO EN 10993-14 in TRIS buffer pH 5.0 and pH 7.4 over 60 days was determined, and its effects on the compressive strength were investigated. The loading was carried out by means of a flow-chamber. The weight of the samples (manufacturer: Robert Mathys Foundation (RMS) and Curasan) in TRIS solutions pH 5 and pH 7 increased within 4 h (mean 48 ± 32 mg) and then remained constant over the experimental period of 60 days. The determination surface roughness showed a decrease in the value for the ceramics incubated in TRIS compared to the untreated ceramics. In addition, an increase in protein concentration in solution was determined for ADA gelatin-loaded ceramics. The macroporous Curasan ceramic exhibited a maximum failure load of 29 ± 9.0 N, whereas the value for the microporous RMS ceramic was 931 ± 223 N. Filling the RMS ceramic with ADA gelatin increased the maximum failure load to 1114 ± 300 N. The Curasan ceramics were too fragile for loading. The maximum failure load decreased for the RMS ceramics to 686.55 ± 170 N by incubation in TRIS pH 7.4 and 651 ± 287 N at pH 5.0.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document