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A lightweight robotic ankle prosthesis with non-backdrivable cam-based transmission

Below-knee level amputation significantly impacts the ability of an individual to ambulate. Transtibial amputees are typically prescribed energetically passive ankle-foot prostheses that behave as a spring or controlled damper, and therefore cannot fully replace the function of the missing limb. More recently, fully-powered devices have been proposed to more closely match the power generation ability of intact limbs. However, these fully-powered devices are significantly heavier than passive devices, thus increasing the stress on the socket-residual limb interface. An alternative solution consists of using a motorized mechanism to actively reposition the foot during non-weight-bearing phases. By using this approach, the Össur© PROPRIO FOOT® showed promising outcomes such as improved gait energetics at self-selected speed, symmetry, and comfort. However, this device cannot be used by many transtibial amputees due to large build height (180 mm). Moreover, its weight has been shown critical for socket suspension. To address these limitations, we propose a novel non-backdrivable cam-based transmission. Based on this novel transmission, we developed a compact, lightweight ankle foot prosthesis. Bench-top testing and preliminary experiments with an able-bodied subject show that the proposed design can actively reposition the foot in swing as necessary to increase foot clearance, while adapting the ankle position to the ground inclination in stance.