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Patients with foot drop frequently utilize Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) devices to restore normal gait; however, conventional AFOs exhibit limitations in providing adequate ankle range of motion (ROM). This study aims to develop and integrate two distinct actuators, the Series Elastic Actuator (SEA) and Scissor Actuator (SA), into a robotic ankle-foot orthosis (RAFO). The process involved designing the actuators using SolidWorks, constructing prototypes, and integrating a fuzzy logic controller in MATLAB Simulink to control ankle movement, specifically plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) motions. Experimental testing was conducted utilizing the bench test method to compare the performance of the two actuators using an Arduino Mega microcontroller 2560, rotary angle sensor, and ultrasonic sensor. The results indicated that SA provided a 14% greater total ROM than SEA. However, SEA demonstrated a significant advantage in energy efficiency, with 31% lower input power consumption than that of SA. Furthermore, in terms of torque generation, the SA outperformed the SEA by 32%. These findings suggest that developing a RAFO with a hybrid actuator that combines both spring and scissor mechanisms could potentially reduce power consumption while improving the ROM and torque generation. This hybrid approach may offer a more effective solution for individuals with foot drop, enhancing mobility and quality of life.

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Experimental Investigation of Robotic Ankle Foot Orthosis with Different Actuators for Foot Drop Rehabilitation

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Gowrishankar Govindaraj,
  • Arockia Selvakumar Arockia Doss

摘要

Patients with foot drop frequently utilize Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) devices to restore normal gait; however, conventional AFOs exhibit limitations in providing adequate ankle range of motion (ROM). This study aims to develop and integrate two distinct actuators, the Series Elastic Actuator (SEA) and Scissor Actuator (SA), into a robotic ankle-foot orthosis (RAFO). The process involved designing the actuators using SolidWorks, constructing prototypes, and integrating a fuzzy logic controller in MATLAB Simulink to control ankle movement, specifically plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) motions. Experimental testing was conducted utilizing the bench test method to compare the performance of the two actuators using an Arduino Mega microcontroller 2560, rotary angle sensor, and ultrasonic sensor. The results indicated that SA provided a 14% greater total ROM than SEA. However, SEA demonstrated a significant advantage in energy efficiency, with 31% lower input power consumption than that of SA. Furthermore, in terms of torque generation, the SA outperformed the SEA by 32%. These findings suggest that developing a RAFO with a hybrid actuator that combines both spring and scissor mechanisms could potentially reduce power consumption while improving the ROM and torque generation. This hybrid approach may offer a more effective solution for individuals with foot drop, enhancing mobility and quality of life.