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Ankle Joint

Ankle Joint

The ankle is formed by the talocrural joint (crural = leg). It consists of the articulations between the talus bone of the foot and the distal ends of the tibia and fibula of the leg. The superior aspect of the talus bone is square-shaped and has three areas of articulation. The top of the talus articulates with the inferior tibia. This is the portion of the ankle joint that carries the body weight between the leg and foot. The sides of the talus are firmly held in position by the articulations...

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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Oscillation and Reaction Board Techniques for Estimating Inertial Properties of a Below-knee Prosthesis

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Design and Validation of a Modular, Backdrivable Ankle Exoskeleton.

Susan Zhao¹, Katharine Walters¹, José Montes Pérez¹

¹Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Proceedings of the ... IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics. IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics

|November 11, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a new back-drivable ankle exoskeleton module, enhancing the M-BLUE system. It offers precise torque assistance for both plantarflexion and dorsiflexion, improving natural human-robot interaction.

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Area of Science:

Robotics
Biomechanics
Human-Robot Interaction

Background:

Partial-assist ankle exoskeletons face challenges balancing torque, control, compliance, and mass.
Quasi-direct drive actuators offer a solution with inherent back-drivability and precise control.
The M-BLUE system previously integrated these actuators for hip and knee assistance.

Purpose of the Study:

To design and validate a back-drivable ankle exoskeleton module.
To extend the modular M-BLUE system with ankle assistance capabilities.
To enable bidirectional torque for studying control methods and gait in various users.

Main Methods:

Developed a novel back-drivable ankle exoskeleton module.
Utilized quasi-direct drive actuators for plantarflexion and dorsiflexion assistance.
Benchtop testing of actuator performance and control bandwidth.
Implemented an optimal task-agnostic energy shaping controller.
Validated the system with a single human subject across activities of daily living.

Main Results:

The ankle exoskeleton module demonstrates bi-directional torque capabilities.
Benchtop tests confirmed actuator performance across position, voltage, and current control modes.
The controller successfully provided biomimetic torque assistance during human subject experiments.
The system is suitable for assisting ankle joints during various activities of daily living.

Conclusions:

The new back-drivable ankle exoskeleton module effectively extends the M-BLUE system.
The design allows for natural user interaction and precise torque assistance.
This technology has potential for rehabilitation and augmenting human locomotion.