Uneven Terrain Treadmill
This treadmill enables studies involving uneven terrain to take place in a controlled lab environment. Such an environment facilitates repeatable conditions and allows the use of lab-based sensors such as motion capture, force plates, and respirometry.
I worked with a post-doctoral researcher to design the terrain pattern such that it provided a variety of disturbances while appearing random to the user. I then spent 2-3 months modifying a commercial treadmill and fabricating custom components to achieve our design.
Stripped commercial treadmill
Stapling blocks onto treadmill belt
Custom frame crossbar for block clearance
Relocating motor drive electronics
Locking hinge reduces footprint for storage
Caster wheels improve maneuverability
The treadmill was used to test a prosthesis controller designed to cancel out ground irregularities. The treadmill operated for hours of walking experiments with minimal wear and maintenance.
Prosthesis emulator on uneven terrain treadmill
Candidate terrain patterns and disturbance distributions
First-Author Publication:
Video clips from experiment
Three foot conditions shown: prescribed, spring-like, and cancelling