Optimal design of a foot prosthesis insole with composite materials applying metaheuristic algorithms

Abstract

This paper applies a methodology based on the design and topological optimisation of composite materials using metaheuristic algorithms. Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) and Differential Evolution (DE) algorithms are used to determine the appropriate parameters that enable the designed piece to withstand the specific loads. The main problem in these designs is finding the right thickness of the piece, which involves defining the number of layers and fibre orientations of all possible combinations of composite laminates. Given the complexity of designing with these materials, posing the problem of designing an insole for Latin American users made of carbon fibre for lower limb prostheses as an optimisation problem, and solving it using metaheuristic techniques and evolutionary computation, will improve the process by generating functional solutions that are feasible to manufacture and in less time than traditional design methods. This hypothesis is proven by the results presented in this work, in which a functional design is obtained, feasible to manufacture, validated by the finite element method, without waste of material and in an acceptable time.

Keywords

• Evolutionary algorithms
• Metaheuristic optimisation
• Design methodologies
• Composite materials
• Prosthetic insole
• Lower limb