Proposal of an alternative material for the Energy Storage And Return foot

Abstract

With the ever growing demand of prosthetics due to increased amputations, there is a need for development of an economic prosthetic foot which has similar functional integrity to that of a higher end model. The main need of this arises in developing countries where people are not able to afford such prosthetics. The primary objective of this study is the development of an Energy Storage And Return foot that is economically viable. In this Work, finite element simulations were conducted for a new Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material. The proposed ABS foot showed identical results to that of a commercial Carbon Fiber foot. Moreover, the proposed foot is cheaper, has a less weight, and appropriately stiff.