ABSTRACT
Methods for sport-shoe testing can be classified in subjective, biomechanical and mechanical test methods. Today's frequently used mechanical test methods simplify load cases, so they can be performed by uniaxial test machines. This chapter focuses on prosthetic feet as a base model and ways to determine its performance indicators. It provides recent methods that have been developed to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) of prosthetic feet, with specific focus on mimicking aspects of normal function with mechanical testing machines. There are several properties of a prosthetic foot that have an impact on the performance of the prosthesis user. Within each specific foot design, there are many properties that could be considered; however, the chapter describes a "black-box" approach for examining prosthetic feet. This approach is chosen to allow measurement of many different types of systems and to allow useful comparisons between dramatically different designs.
