FURI | Spring 2018

Investigating Leg Prosthesis Kinematics for Walking on Surfaces of Different Compliance

This research is being conducted to investigate if leg kinematics are unique and can be characterized in reference to a 2-D plane when walking on surfaces of different compliance. By using inertial measurements units and math relating quaternions and rotation matrices it is possible to represent leg motion by measuring joint angles between the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Understanding how the leg is supposed to move on these surfaces will be vital in proving that the lab’s variable stiffness treadmill can accurately simulate outside walking surfaces, such as sand or grass for rehabilitation purposes.