Design of a test bench for active ankle prostheses

Details

Supervisors

Ronsse, Renaud

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électromécanicien, à finalité spécialisée: mécatronique

Abstract

Testing and evaluating the performance of prostheses and their prototypes during the design phases is essential and involves numerous challenges. With this focus, the primary objective of this thesis is to develop a system that emulates the key components of the human gait cycle. It presents the mechanical design of a mechatronic test bench developed for testing active ankle prostheses, such as the ELSA prosthesis from UCLouvain. The design approach follows an adaptation of the descriptive method developed by Prof. Gerhard Pahl and Prof. Wolfgang Beitz. Initially, a review of gait and ankle biomechanics is conducted to establish a foundation for analyzing existing solutions for testing prostheses. This is followed by clarifying the design problem and compiling a list of requirements. A conceptual design is then achieved by evaluating potential candidates using meaningful criteria. Using the Robotics framework, the range of motion and forces required for the design are calculated through kinematic and dynamic modeling. Gait data is utilized alongside these models to characterize the test bench joints in terms of the necessary position and force profiles to be reproduced. Additional decisions regarding control, actuation, and transmission principles culminate in the creation of a final layout, which is further refined from the conceptual design. Finally, a preliminary selection of components is made to assess the project's technical and economic viability. The work concludes with a 3D model based on the selected components, providing insights into the feasibility of construction and the final bench dimensions. This final step lays the groundwork for developing a prototype test bench, enabling the testing of active ankle prostheses.