The group started its research by searching for how current prosthetic feet were being analyzed to find potential problems that could be solved. This initial research posed several questions to the group. Was carbon fiber truly the best material for a prosthetic foot? Were than any alternatives to carbon fiber that would be both less expensive and provide a stronger more resilient structure? Is there a way to make the foot more lifelike to provide a more natural walking gait? Would a change in material help the walking gait become more natural? These questions were noted and kept in the back of everyone’s mind as research continued.

Also throughout the group’s research the discovery that options for materials that are used to build the structure of the prosthetic foot are very limited. The major choices are carbon fiber, titanium, steel and aluminum. Each of these materials have their downfalls. For example, carbon fiber and titanium are both very expensive, but are the strongest options currently available. Steel is relatively cheap and very strong but to heavy when too much of it is used. Aluminum is cheap and lightweight, but not strong enough to support a human when it becomes too thin.

The group has also done a fair amount of research into 3D printing and have decided to prototype the final design using FDM.The group will run a feasibility study on whether 3D printing could be a future option for the manufacturing aspect of the project.

To accompany the research being conducted a line drawing and generalized foot structure were created to model a universal human foot:

Going forward we will work on the materials study while testing our generalized model, to find what material is best for our application.