Lower Leg Gait Machine Redesign
Faculty Mentor
Alex Bae
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Mechanical Engineering and Technology
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease regularly lose lower leg strength and control due to deterioration of the gastrocnemius & tibialis anterior muscles. Strengthening these two muscles will result in improvements in patient gait, reducing acute injury and fall risk. Our stakeholders are looking to procure an exercise machine that targets these two muscles in eccentric, isometric, and concentric contractions to monitor changes in patient muscle strength. The machine should apply and measure bidirectional force on the patient's forefoot. During exercise, our machine needs to exert up to 800 N of force, with 30° of rotation in dorsiflexion, and 55° in plantarflexion. All three main parts comprising the machine must fit through a standard doorway, and each must weigh less than 50 pounds. The support systems for the leg and heel must comfortably secure a wide range of patients. Our design must be enclosed, durable, easy to repair, and compact. Our proposed solution utilizes a half horsepower motor connected to a gearbox, reducing speed at an 80 to 30 ratio, providing an increase in applied torque while limiting maximum patient speed, reducing risk of injury. Our gearbox outputs to a series of linkages, transmitting force to a pedal while limiting max patient range of motion (ROM) to prevent injury in the event of malfunction. Our adjustable pedal allows for this linear force to be applied and measured at the patient's forefoot, regardless of foot size, in both plantar and dorsiflexion. A rotary encoder tracks ROM, and triggers a braking resistor at calibrated patient limits. Our HMI allows trainers to program sets, reps, force, and speed settings. After testing, results can be plotted and exported to monitor patient progress over time for each leg. During the design process, our group completed stress and deformation analysis, generated 3D models, ran FEA studies, created schematics & wiring diagrams to assess design viability. Our proposed solution falls within the allotted budget for EWU Capstone projects. After generating a comprehensive timeline of production, our team plans to begin functional testing with the machine by early May.
Recommended Citation
Hobbs, Douglas; Proniewski, Piotr; Norman, Matthew; and Maynard, Kevin, "Lower Leg Gait Machine Redesign" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 36.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/36
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Lower Leg Gait Machine Redesign
PUB NCR
Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease regularly lose lower leg strength and control due to deterioration of the gastrocnemius & tibialis anterior muscles. Strengthening these two muscles will result in improvements in patient gait, reducing acute injury and fall risk. Our stakeholders are looking to procure an exercise machine that targets these two muscles in eccentric, isometric, and concentric contractions to monitor changes in patient muscle strength. The machine should apply and measure bidirectional force on the patient's forefoot. During exercise, our machine needs to exert up to 800 N of force, with 30° of rotation in dorsiflexion, and 55° in plantarflexion. All three main parts comprising the machine must fit through a standard doorway, and each must weigh less than 50 pounds. The support systems for the leg and heel must comfortably secure a wide range of patients. Our design must be enclosed, durable, easy to repair, and compact. Our proposed solution utilizes a half horsepower motor connected to a gearbox, reducing speed at an 80 to 30 ratio, providing an increase in applied torque while limiting maximum patient speed, reducing risk of injury. Our gearbox outputs to a series of linkages, transmitting force to a pedal while limiting max patient range of motion (ROM) to prevent injury in the event of malfunction. Our adjustable pedal allows for this linear force to be applied and measured at the patient's forefoot, regardless of foot size, in both plantar and dorsiflexion. A rotary encoder tracks ROM, and triggers a braking resistor at calibrated patient limits. Our HMI allows trainers to program sets, reps, force, and speed settings. After testing, results can be plotted and exported to monitor patient progress over time for each leg. During the design process, our group completed stress and deformation analysis, generated 3D models, ran FEA studies, created schematics & wiring diagrams to assess design viability. Our proposed solution falls within the allotted budget for EWU Capstone projects. After generating a comprehensive timeline of production, our team plans to begin functional testing with the machine by early May.
