BionicWalker

Development of a New Type of Prosthetic Fitting for Partial Foot Amputees with a Carbon Spring Element for the Absorption, Storage and Release of Kinetic Energy

The project “Bionic Walker” is a cooperative project funded by the Central Innovation Programme for the development and research of a new prosthetic solution for patients with partial foot amputations. The project consortium includes REHA-OT Lüneburg Melchior & Fittkau GmbH from Lüneburg, Zeisberg Carbon GmbH from Hannover, OK Gummiwerk Otto Körting GmbH from Hameln, the Institute for Orthopaedic Motion Analysis (OrthoGO) from Hannover, as well as the institutes belonging to the HPCFK research group: the Institute of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures at TU Braunschweig and the Institute of Polymer Materials and Plastics Engineering at TU Clausthal. Administratively, the project consortium is supported by the Economic Development Agency for the city and district of Lüneburg.

The objective of the new prosthetic solution is the restoration of a normal, dynamic, and symmetrical gait pattern for patients after partial foot amputations in order to prevent secondary complications caused by altered gait mechanics and to enable patients to return more quickly to social and professional life. The essential function of the product is achieved through a special spring element made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic that replicates the characteristics of the missing anatomical structures. As in a healthy musculoskeletal system, part of the kinetic energy generated during foot contact while walking is stored as potential energy in the spring element. When the foot lifts off again, the compressed spring assists the patient and reduces the required muscular effort.

Based on a gait-analytical determination of the medical requirements, the cooperative project encompasses the complete development, manufacturing, and integration of all components into a demonstrator. Its functionality and effectiveness are verified through static and cyclic tests in a testing machine, through multi-axial tests using an industrial robot, and through realistic trials in a gait laboratory.