Design of a Reciprocal Hip Mechanism with Adjustable Flexion-Extension Coupling Ratios for Prosthetic Applications

From the past research, the researchers found that higher hip flexion/extension coupling ratio was associated with lower energy cost and higher walking speed. In this work, a reciprocal hip mechanism with adjustable hip FECR for prosthetic applications was developed. An experiment was also performed to identify whether the hip motion of the simulator was in accordance with the desired hip flexion/extension coupling ratio in the mechanism by means of the motion measurement system. The results of the experiment supported the satisfaction of the hip mechanism designed.