Abstract
This study aims to develop a magnetorheological (MR) damper for semi-active knee prostheses to restore the walking ability of transfemoral amputees. The core dimensions of the MR damper were determined via theoretical magnetic field calculations, and the theoretical relationship between current and joint torque was derived through electromagnetic simulation. Then, a physical prototype of the semi-active prosthetic knee equipped with the MR damper was manufactured. Based on the data obtained from angle sensor, pressure sensor (loadcell), and inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the prosthesis, a matching control algorithm is developed. The joint torque of the MR damper can be adaptively adjusted according to the walking speed of the amputee, allowing the amputee to realize a natural gait. The effectiveness of the control program was verified by the ADAMS and MATLAB co-simulation. The results of the test and simulation show that the MR damper can provide sufficient torque needed for normal human activities.
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Data Availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Notes
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant 2018YFC2001300; in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 91948302, Grant 91848204, and Grant 52021003; in part by the Science and Technology Research Project of Educational Department of Jilin Province under Grant JJKH20241259KJ and the Project of Scientific and Technological Development Plan of Jilin Province under Grant 20220508130RC. We appreciate valuable comments and suggestions provided by reviewers and editors.
Funding
This study was funded by Key Technologies Research and Development Program (2018YFC2001300), the Science and Technology Research Project of Educational Department of Jilin Province (JJKH20241259KJ), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91948302, 91848204, 52021003), the Project of Scientific and Technological Development Plan of Jilin Province (20220508130RC).
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Appendix
Appendix
Spindle magnetoresistance \(R_{1}\):
Endcap magnetoresistance \(R_{2}\):
MR fluid magnetoresistance \(R_{3}\):
Stator disc magnetoresistance \(R_{4}\):
Rotor disc magnetoresistance \(R_{5}\):
where \(e\) is the thickness of the stator and rotor discs.
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Song, H., Cao, Y., Chen, W. et al. Design, Testing and Control of a Magnetorheological Damper for Knee Prostheses. J Bionic Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-024-00535-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-024-00535-1