Robotic Leg Ideas

NWUpgrades

So, Back in the spring I once again delved back in to my robot project that has been sitting around since 2005. I have a design for a mobile unit with a robotic arm. Late in June I was working on getting the arm going, when my wife and I got a phone call. Our daughter had been in a jet skiing accident. 4 surgeries later they ended up having to amputate her left leg below the knee. Http://www.walkwithtonya.org .This is why I had dropped off the forum for the summer. Spent a lot of time at Harbor View in Seattle. She is now home living with us. I am considering changing my project from a robotic arm to a robotic leg and surprising her with it for her birthday next year. It is ironic that not long after I started back on my project that this happened. Any how, I am wondering if anyone has any ideas, drawings or anything else that could be of use. A friend of hers owns a machine shop, and has volunteered to make her something out of Titanium. She was just fitted last week for a standard leg, which is very bulky and hard for her to get around in. We are hoping to be able to get a lighter one soon. While I am not the best programmer and no where near being an engineer, I think I was inclined to get back to my project for a reason. Thanks in advance to anyone that can assist in this endeavor. I will post my progress once we have decided on a design, etc.

Unknown

I've seen wearable robots in the news as other companies are working on powered exoskeletons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_exoskeleton

A Japanese company "Cyberdyne Corporation of Japan" may be selling these for $4,200 dollars which isn't too unattainable:

http://www.hplusmagazine.com/articles/robotics/i-am-ironman

iDave

NWUpgrades - My heart goes out to you & your daughter for that turn of events. And yes...i think it wasn't just coincidence that you were gearing up (pun intended) to get back into your project when this happened. It sounds like an ambitious endeavor. I wish u luck

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"THE ONLY TRUE WISDOM IS IN KNOWING YOU KNOW NOTHING." - SOCRATES

Franklin

Not to put a damper on your project but since you need only the ankle I would think pneumatics/hydraulics would be better suited to the job. Unless you can think what a microcontroller would contribute to the workings I would not try to incorporate it in the design.

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- Stephen

dandreae

NWUpgrades said...
So, Back in the spring I once again delved back in to my robot project that has been sitting around since 2005. I have a design for a mobile unit with a robotic arm. Late in June I was working on getting the arm going, when my wife and I got a phone call. Our daughter had been in a jet skiing accident. 4 surgeries later they ended up having to amputate her left leg below the knee. Http://www.walkwithtonya.org .This is why I had dropped off the forum for the summer. Spent a lot of time at Harbor View in Seattle. She is now home living with us. I am considering changing my project from a robotic arm to a robotic leg and surprising her with it for her birthday next year. It is ironic that not long after I started back on my project that this happened. Any how, I am wondering if anyone has any ideas, drawings or anything else that could be of use. A friend of hers owns a machine shop, and has volunteered to make her something out of Titanium. She was just fitted last week for a standard leg, which is very bulky and hard for her to get around in. We are hoping to be able to get a lighter one soon. While I am not the best programmer and no where near being an engineer, I think I was inclined to get back to my project for a reason. Thanks in advance to anyone that can assist in this endeavor. I will post my progress once we have decided on a design, etc.

NWupgrades,

Send me an e-mail at dandreae@parallax.com and I'll see what we can do to help you with your project.

Dave

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Dave Andreae

Parallax Tech Support·

KMyers

Good luck to you and your entire family. I am interested in your project for a slightly different reason.
Keep us in the loop as to your progress.

Ken

NWUpgrades

Will do. I will be meeting with the mmachine shop owner today to discuss some options. I have used CAD software before, but it is sure nice to have an actual machinist with that background. Once the design concept is started, it will be up to me to implement the robotics in to it. Like I said, I am no expert at programming and nowhere near an engineer, but if I set my mind to it, I know I can accomplish it.(Along with a whole bunch of help from the people in this forum.) I appreciate everyones interest, and will post updates as the project prgresses. I am really excited to get this going, and know my daughter will love the idea of having a leg made by her dad. We had our differneces once she became a teenager, but being in the hospital with her for almost a month straight really molded our relationship.

KMyers

The stay in a hospital can change a lot of attitudes! I was there and a home for almost three years. I learned that a trip
to the hospital dies wonders for modesty and shows what is important in life and what is fluff.

Any way still good luck, and if I can help in any way let me know. I probably know enough to be dagerous!!

Ken

Ken Gracey

Hey NWUpgrades,

Dave Andreae pointed out this thread to me. We're really sorry about your daughter's accident. I have a friend who rents personal watercraft on a summer lake and I'm familiar with the risks posed by riding these things, especially when multiple people are on the water on different machines. A close childhood friend of mine lost his foot in a USMC accident in the Phillipines in the early 90s. He fell off of a Zodiac and his foot was severed by the boat's prop. His recovery has been really inspirational. For a period he was running five miles a day, yet he recently replaced that activity with cycling. He's had a number of prosthetic devices, though none of them had any intelligence. The most recent one is carbon fiber, and it's lighter than all previous versions.

Dave will help you out with whatever you need from Parallax, for no charge. You've got plenty of brains on this forum to get you where you need to go, too.

Sincerely,

Ken Gracey

NWUpgrades

Thank you so much. It is really great to know that there are so mnay people willing to help out in this situation. Should I contact Dave directly? Not quite sure as of yet everything we will be needing, but I want to start out with a prototype which will require a few items.

Parallax ROCKS!!!! Thank you very much, and a speacial thanks to kgracey at Parallax for the donation.

Do I have your permission to place a link to Parallax's web site on walkwithtonya.org?

Ken Gracey

NWUpgrades,

Of course regarding the link -- please do.

Contact Dave directly for your hardware needs, too dandreae@parallax.com and he'll take care of you.

- Ken

NWUpgrades

Once again, Thanks so much, Ken. I have contacted Dave and will be sending him a list of items needed to get started tomorrow. I am going to post Parallax wherever I can, and once the project is completed, I will be putting "Powered By Parallax" on it.