Below-Knee Prosthetic Leg Fatigue Load Testing Mechanism
Group Project - Asiri Sandakelum, Chamidu Nesath, Luchiru Dilmith
01 — Overview
Designed a fully mechanical walking mechanism that accurately simulates the human gait cycle — including heel-strike, stance, toe-off, and swing phases — for fatigue load testing of below-knee prosthetic legs.
02 — Problem Statement
Prosthetic leg components require rigorous fatigue testing under realistic cyclic loading conditions. Existing test rigs either over-simplify the loading profile or are prohibitively expensive for small-scale R&D.
03 — Objectives
- 01Simulate all four phases of the human gait cycle mechanically
- 02Withstand vertical loads up to 100 kg
- 03Keep cost low using DFMA principles and 3D printing
- 04Select optimal mechanism using weighted decision matrices
04 — Key Outcomes
Guided frame crank-link mechanism selected via weighted decision matrices
Full gait cycle simulation: heel-strike → stance → toe-off → swing
100 kg vertical load capacity with structural safety factors validated
PLA 3D printed prototype for validation before final fabrication