The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis
Most commercially available foot prostheses are passive ESR feet, which store and release energy to reduce metabolic costs and improve comfort but cannot adjust to varying walking conditions. In contrast, bionic feet adapt to different tasks but are hindered by high weight, power consumption, and co...
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852407/ |
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| author | Johnnidel Tabucol Vera G. M. Kooiman Marco Leopaldi Ruud Leijendekkers Giacomo Selleri Marcello Mellini Nico Verdonschot Magnus Oddsson Raffaella Carloni Andrea Zucchelli Tommaso M. Brugo |
| author_facet | Johnnidel Tabucol Vera G. M. Kooiman Marco Leopaldi Ruud Leijendekkers Giacomo Selleri Marcello Mellini Nico Verdonschot Magnus Oddsson Raffaella Carloni Andrea Zucchelli Tommaso M. Brugo |
| author_sort | Johnnidel Tabucol |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most commercially available foot prostheses are passive ESR feet, which store and release energy to reduce metabolic costs and improve comfort but cannot adjust to varying walking conditions. In contrast, bionic feet adapt to different tasks but are hindered by high weight, power consumption, and cost. This paper presents MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, an ESR foot with a variable stiffness system, as a compromise between these two categories. MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> adjusts stiffness by varying the sagittal-plane distance between two key points, altering force interactions within the prosthesis and affecting overall stiffness. Clinical tests with three transfemoral amputees evaluated stiffness variation across two sessions: the first subjective, where participants assessed stiffness settings during different tasks, and the second biomechanical, measuring performance parameters. Two participants selected different stiffness settings for various tasks, while the third, with limited perception of stiffness changes, showed less distinction in outcomes. Greater sagittal-plane rotation and higher energy absorption were observed in most tasks with more compliant settings, although one participant’s results were limited due to selecting close stiffness settings. Overall, these findings suggest MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> offers adaptability and performance improvements over traditional ESR feet. With further actuation and control system development, MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> could mark significant progress in prosthesis technology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5d8c4b0448149499235e3850f9e3318 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1534-4320 1558-0210 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5d8c4b0448149499235e3850f9e33182025-02-06T00:00:08ZengIEEEIEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering1534-43201558-02102025-01-013365366310.1109/TNSRE.2025.353409610852407The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot ProsthesisJohnnidel Tabucol0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1215-2055Vera G. M. Kooiman1Marco Leopaldi2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8762-9180Ruud Leijendekkers3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6158-6901Giacomo Selleri4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3593-2305Marcello Mellini5Nico Verdonschot6Magnus Oddsson7Raffaella Carloni8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6051-4332Andrea Zucchelli9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3466-2913Tommaso M. Brugo10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9049-2747Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyOrthopedic Research Laboratory, the Department of Rehabilitation, and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyOrthopedic Research Laboratory, the Department of Rehabilitation, the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, the Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, and IQ Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyOrthopedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsÖssur, Reykjavik, IcelandFaculty of Science and Engineering, Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyMost commercially available foot prostheses are passive ESR feet, which store and release energy to reduce metabolic costs and improve comfort but cannot adjust to varying walking conditions. In contrast, bionic feet adapt to different tasks but are hindered by high weight, power consumption, and cost. This paper presents MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, an ESR foot with a variable stiffness system, as a compromise between these two categories. MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> adjusts stiffness by varying the sagittal-plane distance between two key points, altering force interactions within the prosthesis and affecting overall stiffness. Clinical tests with three transfemoral amputees evaluated stiffness variation across two sessions: the first subjective, where participants assessed stiffness settings during different tasks, and the second biomechanical, measuring performance parameters. Two participants selected different stiffness settings for various tasks, while the third, with limited perception of stiffness changes, showed less distinction in outcomes. Greater sagittal-plane rotation and higher energy absorption were observed in most tasks with more compliant settings, although one participant’s results were limited due to selecting close stiffness settings. Overall, these findings suggest MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> offers adaptability and performance improvements over traditional ESR feet. With further actuation and control system development, MyFlex-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\zeta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> could mark significant progress in prosthesis technology.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852407/Amputationbiomechanical testsprosthesis designprosthetic feetvariable stiffness |
| spellingShingle | Johnnidel Tabucol Vera G. M. Kooiman Marco Leopaldi Ruud Leijendekkers Giacomo Selleri Marcello Mellini Nico Verdonschot Magnus Oddsson Raffaella Carloni Andrea Zucchelli Tommaso M. Brugo The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering Amputation biomechanical tests prosthesis design prosthetic feet variable stiffness |
| title | The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis |
| title_full | The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis |
| title_fullStr | The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis |
| title_short | The MyFlex-ζ Foot: A Variable Stiffness ESR Ankle-Foot Prosthesis |
| title_sort | myflex x03b6 foot a variable stiffness esr ankle foot prosthesis |
| topic | Amputation biomechanical tests prosthesis design prosthetic feet variable stiffness |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852407/ |
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