Development of a bionic dancing prosthesis

Abstract

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 37-38).Research on lower extremity prostheses has primarily focused on activities of daily living, such as walking and running, but has largely overlooked less common activities. As a result, traditional prosthetic devices are designed for a walking/running gait, and are difficult to use for other activities. This study aims to take the first steps to determine if a bionic prosthesis can enable alternate activity modes, not driven by traditional activities of daily living. Specifically, we aim to modify the BiOM, a commercial robotic ankle prosthesis, to allow a professional dancer and below-knee amputee to dance the Rumba. The movements of an able-bodied professional dancer were quantified and analyzed in order to develop a novel dance control system for the BiOM. With minimal hardware modifications, a powered prosthetic device was developed that enables the subject to dance more proficiently than with a traditional prosthesis.by Nathan Villagaray-Carski.M. Eng