Leg prosthetics
In this research line, we investigate robotic replacements for human legs.
In collaboration with ETH Zürich, we realized a lightweight knee-prosthesis, the ANGELAA-leg, which replicates physiological stiffness modulation during gait:
Powered Knee Prosthesis
With ANGELAA, we investigated how amputees can intuitively control such an active prosthetic leg, and developed control strategies that use residual body motion to control the prosthesis. In addition, we tried to find out whether sensory augmentation can help amputees control their leg.
In current research, we are investigating lightweight pneumatic prostheses to assist with standing up.
Selected Publications
- Vallery, H.; Lachmann, F.; van der Helm, S.; Pennycott, A. & Smit, G.
Design and evaluation of the pneumatic leg prosthesis ERiK to assist elderly amputees with sit-down and stand-up movements
Wearable Technologies, 2023 (Download here) - Pfeifer, S.; Pagel, A.; Riener, R. & Vallery, H.
Actuator With Angle-Dependent Elasticity for Biomimetic Transfemoral Prostheses (.pdf)
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2015, 20(3), 1384-1394. - Pfeifer, S., Vallery, H., Hardegger, M., Riener, R. & Perreault, E. J.
Model-Based Estimation of Knee Stiffness
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2012, 59 (9), 2604-2612. - H. Vallery, R. Burgkart, C. Hartmann, J. Mitternacht, R. Riener, M. Buss
Complementary limb motion estimation for the control of active knee prostheses (.pdf)
Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering 2011 56:1 , 45-51