High speed load cells
Force and position sensors in the RHEO KNEE® monitor where and how the device is moving at a rate of 1000 times per second. The speed that the individual is moving at is one aspect of gait, but perhaps more important is the load – the interaction of force between the prosthetic limb and the ground at any given moment.
Load can vary for any number of reasons. Going down stairs or a slope will certainly make a difference. If you pick up a heavy suitcase, the load will increase. Change the hand and side of the body you are carrying it on, and the load on the prosthetic knee will change again. Swap your sports shoes for something with even a small heel and you create an impact.
High speed load cells in the RHEO KNEE® , along with angulometers, detect the subtlest of changes in load, speed and terrain and contribute to an immediate and highly accurate response in terms of knee resistance. They achieve this by feeding a constant stream of data through to the system’s ‘brain’, where decisions are made about how best to act upon it.