A magnetorheological fluid-based controllable active knee brace

Farzad Ahmadkhanlou; Jamaal L. Zite; Gregory N. Washington

doi:10.1117/12.715902

11 April 2007 A magnetorheological fluid-based controllable active knee brace

Farzad Ahmadkhanlou, Jamaal L. Zite, Gregory N. Washington

Proceedings Volume 6527, Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2007; 65270O (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.715902
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

High customization costs and reduction of natural mobility put current rehabilitative knee braces at a disadvantage. A resolution to this problem is to integrate a Magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based joint into the system. A MR joint will allow patients to apply and control a resistive torque to knee flexion and extension. The resistance torque can also be continuously adjusted as a function of extension angle and patient strength (or as a function of time), which is currently impossible with state of the art rehabilitative knee braces. A novel MR fluid-based controllable knee brace is designed and prototyped in this research. The device exhibits large resistive torque in the on-state and low resistance in the offstate. The controllable variable stiffness, compactness, and portability of the system make it a proper alternative to current rehabilitative knee braces.

Citation Download Citation

Farzad Ahmadkhanlou, Jamaal L. Zite, and Gregory N. Washington "A magnetorheological fluid-based controllable active knee brace", Proc. SPIE 6527, Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies 2007, 65270O (11 April 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.715902

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