One major problem with current ankle braces is their lack of personalized adaptability, which often leads to discomfort for users. Since these braces apply a constant level of pressure regardless of activity, users may experience irritation or pain during extended wear. As a result, users tend to remove the brace earlier than recommended, reducing the effectiveness of the treatment and potentially worsening symptoms of imbalance or instability. The goal of this project is to engineer an adaptive ankle brace that can sense the amount of force placed on the joint and automatically adjust its level of support. By responding to real-time changes in activity and pressure, the brace aims to maintain comfort while still providing necessary stability. This adaptability will help increase brace wear time, improve user compliance, and potentially prevent injury recurrence.
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The following are images of the sensor placement testing done to verify the locations of the FSRs on the brace. A 3D printed foot was used to mount a slip on brace and tape was used to apply the sensors. Additionally, tissue paper was added to create a tissue like effect similar to a real foot.
Detailed background research on my project that I conducted in order to build a successful methodology and create a plan for data collection.
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