In the Spring 2019 semester at the University of Maryland, I took a course on prosthetic design and additive manufacturing. The main project of the course was to design a prosthetic foot and fabricate it using additive manufacturing techniques to accommodate for a particular customer's needs and defined specifications. I, along with my project partner, designed and created the prosthesis shown below.

The yellow ankle and grey sole components were printed using PLA while the flexible black shell was made by using the NinjaTek Cheetah™ filament to help absorb shock from impacts while walking. The components were assembled with nuts and bolts and the back ankle component was designed to house a standard SACH foot adaptor that could be attached to the leg.

Throughout the development process, several iterations underwent different tests to measure structural stability and rigidity as well as user comfort. The videos below showcase the importance of the flexible sole that was designed to absorb shock. Without the sole, the supporting ankle component lost its structural integrity and failed as a result.

Below shows the "user" test with the final design of the project. While the front sole component failed from shear due to the excessive force at the sole-ankle interface, the user commented on how the combination of the flexible heel from the shell and the rigid ankle made for a rather comfortable design. The user noted that he had no difficulty in walking around with the foot and that it felt natural enough so that he could use the foot without any problems.