Week Four!

Hello everybody,

My research project deals with a high-efficeincy pneumatic "Walking Engine" and its use in an active ankle-foot orthosis. That is just a fancy way of saying that I am working on an ankle brace that has a pneumatic eninge on it to help people walk. Active orthotic devices that promote joint articulation have a number of applications that could benefit many people. Some examples of this include: joint articulation for people suffering from disabilities (like I mentioned); gait training; increased load-carrying capacity and walking distance for humans; and limb replacement for amputees.

 
The main goal of this research is to help people with disabilities regain natural walking ability by mimicking the normal walking gait of a human through the use of an active ankle-foot orthotic (AAFO). This research investigates the optimization of a high-efficiency pneumatic “Walking Engine” and pulley actuation system for such an AAFO. In order to accurately mimic a healthy human gait, the AAFO device has to accurately reproduce the moment applied to the ankle during gait. 

I have been calculating the pressure-volume diagram of the AAFO’s internal-combustion (IC) engine using a dual-combustion (limited-pressure) gas-power-cycle model. After this cycle is optimized, to best represent the IC engine’s performance and provide the necessary work output, the cycle will be validated through combustion testing. Using the power output of the IC engine, the pulley system will then be optimized to best match the ankle moment of a healthy human gait. The optimized pulley will then be further tested to validate its design. The results of this research will hopefully provide insight for the future development of un-tethered, compact, lightweight, efficient, long-lasting, and safe AAFO devices.

So that is what I am working on. It mostly deals with engine power cycles, and pulley relations. I really like it so far! 

This week I am giving a shout out to Nikita. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your flip phone. You have my most sincere condolences. Just remember, time does heal all wounds. 

I hope everyone is still well,

Don