Abstract
Prosthetics are made with solid, biocompatible materials. Though the materials have a very good strength-to-weight ratio, they are not aesthetic or customized. Most of the time, it is made standard and is not lightweight for the user. Presently Metal 3D printing develops lightweight structures with the highest strength-to-weight ratio. In countries like India, the people have limited access to a good prostheses, as the prostheses is not affordable. The prosthetic limbs, to a certain degree, help amputees get back to their basic functional movement systems and help amputees develop better mobility and operate freely without depending on others. The design and fabrication of an improved and affordable prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputation which will mimic the function of the natural leg using additive manufacturing technology. The additive manufacturing allows design freedom and customisation advantage. Autodesk Fusion 360 and Solid Works software was used for solid modelling and simulation and topology optimization was done using Autodesk Fusion 360. After measurement of the leg parameters, the measured data are fed into editable 3D software. The best design is chosen from the available designs based on ESAR foot (Energy storage and return foot). The present work based on topologically optimized design and ESAR foot was able to withstand the given loads and can be easily moved and thus chosen for further manufacturing and testing. This pave the way to develop a customer-oriented design and use 3D printing to make prosthetic legs that would look more personal and aesthetic.
