Ankle prosthetic device

In 2007, MIT professor Hugh Herr demonstrated the first powered ankle prosthetic device [8], Mechanical compliance is one key to the proper operation of an ankle prosthetic since the foot is constantly interacting with surfaces of varying compliance. The MIT ankle does not use EPAM but rather uses a linear servomotor drive (rotary motor plus a lead screw) in combination with a spring in order to achieve a controllable compliance. A similar ankle orthotic device has also been developed [9]. Replacing this relatively heavy, bulky and noisy mechanism with an EPAM actuator would be desirable. 

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