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Soft Ankle Exosuit for Correction of Foot Drop

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Foot drop is a common condition caused by nerve damage, muscular dystrophy, as well as brain and spinal cord disorders. It is characterized by a difficulty to perform dorsiflexion: the inability to lift the front of the foot, resulting in a dragging foot. Consequences include inefficient gait and the inability to position the foot for heel strike. Although many people suffer from foot drop, there is currently no active brace on the market. This project introduces a wearable, active device that can be worn beneath regular clothing. The device uses force sensing resistors (FSR) to deduce the gait phase and an ultrasonic sensor to deduce ground conditions such as stairs. A lightweight and compact servo motor placed next to the knee joint actuates the ankle joint through a Bowden cable.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
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Identifier
  • E-project-042519-150944
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Year
  • 2019
Date created
  • 2019-04-25
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Permanent link to this page: https://digital.wpi.edu/show/rv042w57w