IIT-Madras develops artificial limbs using 3D printing

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, are developing high-tech artificial limbs using 3D printing technology of Finite Element Analysis, a release stated.

Three-dimensional printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates a physical object from a digital design and the process works by laying down thin layers of material in the form of liquid or powdered plastic, metal or cement, and then fusing the layers together.

The mathematical concept uses Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which is a technique used to arrive at the critical parameters of a physical system numerically.

IIT-M researchers prosthetic feet are generally designed through experiments by trial and error, leaving the process expensive, time-consuming and needing a lot of manpower. This alternative numerical design approach is expected to help reap rich rewards, researchers say.

The study takes geometric, material and contact non-linearity of a prosthetic foot into account. A range of biomechanical parameters, including the centre of pressure (CoP) trajectory, ankle range of motion (AROM), ankle flexion moment (AFM) and roll-over shape (ROS), have been studied while making the artificial limb.