Impedance Shaping Module: Magneto-Rheological Fluid/Polymer Cells (MR-Cells)

Current ankle prostheses allow individuals with below-knee amputations to return to most daily activities, including ground-level walking. However, there is a gap in the current powered ankle-foot prosthesis market as it relates to prosthetics that are suited for walking on slopes, stairs or uneven terrain.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new impedance control system which allows for time- and task-varying changes in impedance along 2 degrees of freedom (2-DOF), as observed in biological ankle joints. It can be integrated into the design of existing 2-DOF robotic ankle-foot prostheses. Additionally, this design uniquely allows for independent control of impedance and generated torque. While this system was designed for ankle-foot prostheses, it has potential applications in articulated robotics and prosthetics up to 3 degrees of freedom.

Advantages:

-Independent torque and impedance control

-Time-varying and task-dependent impedance modulation in 2 DOF

Potential Applications:

-Articulated robots

-Prostheses

TRL: 4

Intellectual Property:

Keywords: powered ankle-foot prosthesis, impedance control system, 2 degrees of freedom, 2-DOF robotic ankle-foot prostheses, independent control of impedance and torque, time-varying impedance modulation, task-dependent impedance modulation, articulated robotics, prostheses, below-knee amputations