Engineering and manufacturing load bearing components using a natural laminate, bamboo prosthetic foot

This work presents the development of a prosthetic foot prototype made from laminated bamboo, with particular emphasis on the manufacturing process. Composite materials, especially carbon fiber–reinforced epoxy laminates, are the most common choice in the design of commercial prosthetic feet. Despite their excellent mechanical performance, their production entails significant economic and environmental costs. In this study laminated bamboo is investigated as a carbon fiber alternative material, aiming to replicate, as closely as possible, the performance of commercial prosthetic feet. The steam bending technique was employed to shape the material into the required geometries without compromising its structural integrity, structuring the manufacturing process into three main stages: dimensional design of the components, experimental optimization of steam bending for laminate production, and final assembly with prototype finishing. The results showed that the stiffness of bamboo deviates by less than 10% compared to its carbon fiber counterpart, confirming the suitability of the process for prosthetic applications. However, the bamboo strips exhibited an “elastic spring-back” effect of 12–15 degrees greater than values reported in the literature, indicating the need for further optimization during the lamination phase. In addition to demonstrating the potential of bamboo as an alternative prosthetic material, the study highlights how low-impact fabrication methods, such as steam bending, can provide a sustainable and replicable approach to prototyping complex components. From an environmental perspective, the production of a carbon fiber foot results in an impact approximately 15 times higher in terms of CO₂ equivalent compared to a laminated bamboo foot. Another noteworthy outcome is the achieved reduction in production cost by 60%, further enhancing the economic viability of the proposed solution. Considering the obtained results, the proposed prosthetic foot prototype emerges as a low-cost and sustainable solution with a simplified manufacturing process that relies on non-advanced technologies, making it suitable for resource-constrained settings where conventional prosthesis production or material sourcing is limited, and supporting broader access to prosthetic healthcare services.