Development of Ankle-Foot Orthosis with the Integration of IoT Controller

Abstract

— Immobilisation in bed for an extended period can cause the patient to experience complications such as muscle atrophy and muscle shortness. Ankle foot orthosis, AFO application can assist the bedridden patient in keeping their calf muscle active. However, the existing AFO used for the bedridden patient is fixed. In contrast, another AFO is only used for assisting the patient to walk. Thus, this project aims to design a customized adjustable AFO for the bedridden patient, analyze the strength of the AFO with different parameters, and fabricate using 3D printing technology to integrate remote control. The project begins with the problem identification, concept generation and selection, preliminary design using CAD software, conducting finite element analysis (FEA) by identifying the effect of using different materials, different thicknesses, and different load applies. Finally, the fabrication of AFO used 3D printing technology with PLA materials, and the integration of remote control was installed. Keywords— Bedridden; Bed-resting; Ankle foot orthosis; 3D printing; IoT controller