Photo credit: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – © IIT, all rights reserved
Researchers from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa, led by Manuel G. Catalano, unveil SoftFoot Pro, an innovative prosthesis that mimics the bones in a real human foot. It does not require an external power source and weighs in at just 1-pound.
Despite just weighing a pound, it can support up to 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and consists of a mobile arch mechanism in titanium (or aeronautical-grade aluminum alloy), whose ends are connected by five high-strength plastic chains arranged in parallel to simulate the plantar fascia of human feet. These chains are traversed lengthwise by a high-performance, mechanically in-extensible 210mm cable, connected at the heel. Each individual chain is characterized by multiple modules made of high-strength plastic sourced from automotive technologies and linked to each other by pairs of elastics.
- Build your own awesome, wearable mechanical hand that you operate with your own fingers.
- No motors, no batteries — just the power of air pressure, water, and your own hands!
- Hydraulic pistons enable the mechanical fingers to open and close and grip objects with enough force to lift them. Every finger joint can be adjusted...
What prostheses and today’s humanoid robots have in common is the characteristic of having flat or low compliant feet, developed to ensure maximum stability but incapable of adapting to changes in terrain contour, slope, and different positions such as kneeling or bending,” said Manuel G. Catalano, researcher in the Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation Lab at IIT in Genoa.
[Source]
