A bioinspired robotic knee with controlled joint surfaces and adjustable ligaments

The knee joint plays a key role in kinematic and kinetic performances of pedestrain locomotion. The key role of meniscus with matched ligaments in joint stability and movability has not been fully explored in current robotic knee designs. We fabricate a bioinspired robotic knee based on a kinematic model of an anatomical knee in order to reveal the relationship between the meniscus, ligaments and their stability and movability, respectively. The kinematic model was built from magnetic resonance imaging of the human knee with generated contact profiles and customized ligament fibers. Then, the bioinspired knee was designed, and its dynamic stability was maintained by ligaments and specific contact profiles, which were acquired based on the kinematic model. Finally, a monopod robot with the bioinspired knee assembled was developed for dynamic testing. The results show that (1) a smooth rolling-sliding motion can be achieved with the addition of menisci and compatible ligaments; and (2) joint stiffness can be adjusted by changing the springs and activation lengths of ligament fibers. This study gives biomimetic insights into a new design of knee joint for a robotic/prosthetic leg.