Prosthetic Foot Redesigned for Stiffness

November 2023 - December 2023


Conducted a tensile test for a dogbone specimen to determine material properties of PLA filament. Ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, and yield strength were calculated using data collected from the tensile test, and developing stress-strain curves on Excel.

Conducted a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) by hand and by SolidWorks simulation in order to determine displacement of a simplified design due to an applied load of 190N.

Using knowledge on mechanics of deformable solids, the simple prosthetic foot was redesigned with the intent of improving stiffness and strength without altering total volume and certain required dimensions.

Due to concepts such as stress concentration and mechanical equations dependent on the second moment of inertia, the redesign involved the combination of curved edges, support fixtures, and a larger cross-sectional area.

An FEA was performed by the SolidWorks simulator on the modified design to test the stiffness. The displacement reduced as intended, and the redesign was 3D printed to be tested on a CellScale machine, with a 190N force applied at the ankle.