Who
Hip disarticulation amputations account for only 1% of all amputees, and yet it is one of the most debilitating. After such strenuous surgery, many individuals lose majority of their mobility and rely on solutions such as crutches, wheelchairs, or use current market available passive external hip prosthetics. As mentioned, there is only a limited range of passive hip joint prosthetics available, typically fashioned as a simple hinge fastened to a socket. However, these current models have been notably difficult to use and maneuver, causing users to expend significantly more energy in compensatory movement in gait. In creating an actively actuated hip joint, users will find more symmetry in gait, and the elimination of excess energy expenditure in mobility. Because powered hip prosthetics are not currently common in the commercial market, successful development of this system may provide a pathway toward improved mobility options for a highly underserved amputee population.
What
The main goal of this project was to create an active hip prosthetic that allows amputees to experience the freedom of energy-efficient mobility again. Throughout the design process, our team has created and iterated over many various concepts in order to create the most practical solution. Each week, our team meets with our project clients to guide and inform design choices.The primary goal of designing, building, and testing an active powered hip prosthesis is to restore hip motion and eliminate excessive energy expenditure in prosthetic use for individuals who have lost their full leg during hip disarticulation. The baseline is to have a functional prototype that has active actuation with similar range of motion to a sound leg. This should also be able to be controlled through some sort of control system that the user could control.