GEN-4 | Advanced Prototype

The largest mechanical change is the move from GEN-3’s gear-driven transmission to a belt drive. It reduces the number of parts and removes several wear-prone interfaces. Eliminating the gear-drive assembly also largely offsets the additional weight from other upgrades. We’re using this simpler arrangement to pursue smoother, quieter operation and make the system easier to service. Its long-term durability remains part of the validation work.

We’ve also increased output power to twice the GEN-3 level using an updated brushless motor. The additional power gives the controller more capacity to work with under load, including during push-off and incline walking. How effectively that capacity contributes to movement depends on the rest of the mechanism and the way it is controlled.

We’ve added a mechanical joint lockout that can hold the ankle at a selected position. A physical rotational engagement operates the lock independently of the software control state. This gives the system a separate mechanical way to maintain a fixed joint position when one is needed.

Live user testing with GEN-4 is underway. Those sessions are informing decisions about ergonomics, control tuning, and reliability in daily use. They help us examine how the changes work together when the device is worn and where further refinement is needed.

We’ve also begun incorporating modular chassis concepts designed to support interchangeable adapters. The goal is to accommodate a wider range of limb configurations rather than rely on one fixed geometry. That work is part of preparing an architecture we can adapt to the people who will use it.

GEN-4 is an advanced prototype. Its purpose is to help us improve the structure and behavior of the system while learning what deployment will require. The findings from this generation will inform the Genesis Ankle’s production design.