retroremakes
February 18th, 2010, 00:30
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/02/500x_prostheticfoot.jpg (http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/02/prostheticfoot.jpg)Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a prosthesis that makes walking much easier on amputees than current options. The trick: an artificial foot (http://gizmodo.com/tag/artificialfoot/) that recycles the kinetic energy generated by walking.
The device works by mimicking the natural push-off of a human ankle, using a microprocessor to control the device and capture the energy normally dissipated by the leg:
In tests on subjects walking with an artificially-impaired ankle, a conventional prosthesis reduced ankle push-off work and increased net metabolic energy expenditure by 23% compared to normal walking. Energy recycling restored ankle push-off to normal and reduced the net metabolic energy penalty to 14%.
That means less cumbersome dragging of an artificial limb and a more natural walking sensation. It also only requires a small battery to operate, running off of less than one watt of power.
It's just a prototype for now, but assuming the current round of testing goes well, there's no reason not to expect a commercial application in the not too distant future. [PLoS ONE (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009307) via Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/17/energy-recycling-artificial-foot-created/)]
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/N2wME-L8HJo
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/N2wME-L8HJo/artificial-foot-recycles-energy-with-every-step)
The device works by mimicking the natural push-off of a human ankle, using a microprocessor to control the device and capture the energy normally dissipated by the leg:
In tests on subjects walking with an artificially-impaired ankle, a conventional prosthesis reduced ankle push-off work and increased net metabolic energy expenditure by 23% compared to normal walking. Energy recycling restored ankle push-off to normal and reduced the net metabolic energy penalty to 14%.
That means less cumbersome dragging of an artificial limb and a more natural walking sensation. It also only requires a small battery to operate, running off of less than one watt of power.
It's just a prototype for now, but assuming the current round of testing goes well, there's no reason not to expect a commercial application in the not too distant future. [PLoS ONE (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009307) via Inhabitat (http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/17/energy-recycling-artificial-foot-created/)]
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/N2wME-L8HJo
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/N2wME-L8HJo/artificial-foot-recycles-energy-with-every-step)