APPLYING GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR OPTIMIZATION OF SIX-BAR MECHANISM OF PROSTHETIC KNEE JOINT

Year 2012, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 9 - 16, 01.03.2012

J. Afshari F. Nazari S. Baghalian S.S. Malihi

Abstract

Six-bar linkages have been used in some prosthetic knees in the past years, but only a few publications have been written on the special functions of the mechanism as used in transfemoral prosthesis. This paper investigates the advantages of the mechanism as used in the prosthetic knee from the kinematic and instant inactive joints points of view. Computer simulation and an optimization method were used in the investigation. The results show that the six-bar mechanism, as compared to the four-bar mechanism, can be designed to better achieve the expected trajectory of the ankle joint in swing phase. Moreover, a six-bar linkage can be designed to have more instant inactive joints than a four-bar linkage, hence making the prosthetic knee more stable in the standing phase

Keywords

Genetic Algorithm, Six-Bar Mechanism, Prosthetic Knee

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