Foot drop, a disorder which affects millions of people worldwide, is a broad term used to describe a neurological, or muscular-skeletal condition that limits or disables an individual's ability to dorsiflex - raise - their foot about the ankle joint. Common causes of foot drop are stroke, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and injury. Unassisted, an individual with foot drop will have difficulty walking. The inability to raise the foot leaves patients dragging their toes on each step, greatly increasing the risk of a trip or fall. Current technology in the form of Ankle-Foot Orthotics (AFO's) help to alleviate the symptoms of foot drop. These devices provide support to individuals by holding the foot at a slightly elevated angle. These devices are effective in keeping people from tripping over their toes; however they are very restrictive to the range of motion and restrict normal gait patterns. Ramps, stairs and uneven terrain are particularly difficult to navigate with such a restricted range. There is a need for a more adaptive technology that supports individuals in a wider array of walking scenarios. The goal of this project is to improve existing AFO devices in order to facilitate a more natural gait cycle. This is to be accomplished by developing an active AFO with air muscle actuation. This will allow for improved positioning of the foot especially while navigating stairs and ramps.

Project Name

Active Ankle-Foot Orthotic: Tethered Air Muscle

Project Number

P13001

Project Family

Assistive Devices

Start Term

2012-1

End Term

2012-2

Faculty Guide

Dr. Elizabeth DeBartolo, mailto:eademe@rit.edu

Primary Customer

Dr. Elizabeth DeBartolo, mailto:eademe@rit.edu

Sponsor (financial support)

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. BES-0527358. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Photo Gallery

Planning & Execution

Systems Design

Detailed Design

Photo Gallery

Planning & Execution

Build, Test, Document

Poster

Technical Paper

Final Presentation