One of the most exciting new applications for magnetorheological fluid technology is that of real-time controlled dampers for use in advanced prosthetic devices. In such systems a small magnetorheological fluid damper is used to control, in real-time, the motion of an artificial limb based on inputs from a group of sensors. A 'smart' prosthetic knee system based on a controllable magnetorheological fluid damper was commercially introduced to the orthopedics and prosthetics market in 2000. The benefit of such an artificial knee is a more natural gait that automatically adapts to changing gait conditions.

Date Published: 14 June 2001
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4332, Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (14 June 2001); doi: 10.1117/12.429670

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4332:
Smart Structures and Materials 2001: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies
Anna-Maria Rivas McGowan, Editor(s)