Bionic Boots!

Intro: Bionic Boots!

About the Boots:

As with all instructables here's a little back story.

A few months back, I saw a pair of bionic boots online, and they quickly went viral for their ability to run 25 MPH, and of course I instantly wanted to try them out, but the sale price of these things were astronomical. Seriously.

I concluded I must build my own. I was on a budget, so I wanted it to cost less then £50. Cheaper than most boots you can find on the high street, and also allows a sixteen year old to use all of his paper round money...

This project did take overall of 2 months of a few hours a day of work, before the fine tuning started to show through. Patience is a must with this project.

Weeks of research and hundreds of scribbled designs later, I stripped it all back to the principles. The mechanical design appeared pretty simplistic. I am also working without a welder, so that it caters for those who, like me, do not have a welder but still want to make this. Welding would make things faster and easier, but whats fun about no challenges?

Important! please note: This Instructable is based on my body size & weight. You will need to adjust to your body size and weight accordingly! It is easily possible but must be taken in to consideration! When bolting pieces together keep the head of the bolt facing inwards and the shaft pointing away from the body.

Also, should you decide to undertake this project, as with all major wearable items such as this, there is a risk. I cannot be held responsible for any injury you may sustain as a result of this project. Before running, please try in a safe place with people to assist. They take a while to learn to use, even after making them, so take your time and test safely!

so here it is:

STEP 1: Materials

You will need:

materials:

• (6) strong fabric strips (roughly 45cm long)
• (6) 3cmX22cm steel strips.
• (2) 100cm X 1.5 cm hot iron (or steel) - i used 2 different sizes but is not vital to the project. 2 of the same will do just fine.
• (2) spring rated for roughly 1.3x your body weight. this will be covered in greater detail when installing the spring.
• (2) rubber bumper or feet, 1/3 of your foot size.
• (2) stainless steel (super strong) baking trays
• (1) 100cm x 1.5 cm x 1.5cm U shaped Steel rod.
• rubber or foam matting either 3 cm thick or 2 lots of 1.5cm.

Joinery & tools:

• A LOT of nuts and bolts. 4 or 5 mm work well.
• A drill and appropriate metal drill bits (mostly 4 or 5mm for the bolts
• A pair of old wellies in your shoe size (optional but fun)
• needle and thread.
• flexible tape measure(for clothes works best)
• hacksaw or metal cutting saw (jigsaw etc)

STEP 2: Measuring and Component Making for the Leg Brace

To save me confusing you with my measurements, I am using numbers where measurements should be. as you go, you'll fill these in.

Okay so starting from the top down, using the 100x1.5cm pieces, measure out the circumference of your leg at just below your knee(1).

Make sure it is slightly loose. Mark this out on your piece of metal and cut out. then using a vice and a hammer (or by hand) bend to an almost circular shape, leaving about 5cm between the ends, to allow the foot to slip through comfortably and to go over the calf without catching.

After this, take where you measured (1) and measure to just above your ankle. you will need 2 of these per boot. this is measurement (2) . cut these out from the same piece of metal, but bending is not necessary.

Part (3) is just half of (1) bent to a semi-circle.

For (4) measure around just above your ankle, and bend to a U shape, with the two ends pointing the same direction as the foot. this will become clear when it is assembled.

STEP 3: Assembling the Leg Brace.

Note: Using rivets or bolts at the top is optional, and I found rivets at the top worked adequately, making it more comfortable however it is vital bolts are used at the bottom, as i found out later, to ensure it is all strongly set. movement of the parts near the ankle must be avoided - that'll be covered in a later step.

So now the components are all cut out and ready to go! using your drill, drill out one hole 2/3 or the way up of the sides of the brace, as well as one at the top and bottom of the sides.

Then, drill holes through the other components: at the rear of the calf, one on each side. (see picture)

Also, drill holes roughly 90 degrees from the two ends of both top and bottom, so the side braces are opposite each other, and both openings of the two rings (top and bottom) both face the same direction. at this point the brace should be ambidextrous, fitting on either leg.

Trying the brace on as you go is ideal for making corrections but be aware of sharp pieces of metal. pointy bits are the worst, they always seem to leave splinters...

Ensure this fits comfortably on your leg, although expect some rubbing or tightness on your ankle. This is common and will be sorted when attaching the rest of the boot.

STEP 4: Feet!

Now the brace is done, put that to one side. take your baking tray and trace the shape of your foot, then mark about 3cm in a border around your foot. Then, using a hacksaw (or if you're lucky a jigsaw) cut out around this outer line to create a panel for your foot. Then, using your favorite hammer, smack it to make a border to stop your foot slipping off, using your line around your foot as reference for when to stop. needless to say, don't hammer it while your foot is still in there.

If you do have a pair of old shoes or wellies you want to use, now is the time to take a pair of scissors to them and remove the sole. Then, using a strong glue such as gorilla glue, attach them to to the bottom of your metal soles. This isn't vital but it looks good, once finished up.

The last part in this step is to start adding the connectors for our mechanism to sit on. take the U shape steel (100x1.5x1.5) and cut off an 11cm piece. then, take your shoe and drill 2 10mm holes through the center of the heel, about 2 cm apart. pointing from heel to toe, so that you can then bolt the U shaped steel to the base, with about 6cm sticking out from the back of the heel. Don't bolt it down just yet.

STEP 5: Ankle Attachment.

Now its time to attach the brace to the foot, so an ankle is required here. from my tests I have found movement in the ankle will stop the whole thing working as it is supposed to and increases risk of hurting pretty much every bone and muscle below your knee.

So, to stop this. take a 3cmX22cm steel strip, and find the center. Drill a 10mm hole though this, which will align with the 10mm hole beneath, in the shoe. then, measure the width of the foot, and halve it, then bend the steel just under 90 degrees that distance from the drill hole on either side, making a "U" shape.

Then, take the second piece of steel and bend it 90 degrees where the metal meets the heel, with the front meeting the front U shape. Drill a hole through the second piece to meet the underlying hole through the heel. once this is done, you can bolt these pieces through the foot and to the U bar at the bottom. ensure all of this is very well fastened. (this does need to be done for both feet)

Then, take the brace and attach to the top, drilling holes in the straighter parts of the ankles "U" shape and one in the rear will allow the strongest attachment.

STEP 6: Strapping Up

using the straps (salvaged mine from old schoolbags) I fastened it to my leg just below where the top ring sits, then loosened them just to the point where they met the brace, and marked it. using some fabric strip, I then sewed this to both sides of the metal, keeping it in place on the brace. repeating this on the other side should then allow you to place your leg within and strap it firmly, reducing the wobble between your leg and the brace. Repeat this just above the ankle for greater security.

STEP 7: Reinforcing the Brace

By now it is mostly strong enough to hold a decent amount of weight but running as it is will cause the ankle to rotate, due to the T shaped join. Here, you get the third strip of steel and bridge from the ankle ring to the side of the brace, drilling holes through where they meet. Try and attach just above your ankle strap, to stop it sliding upwards. this should now have totally stopped ankle and brace movement.

STEP 8: Foot Padding & Strapping.

the penultimate core step is to take the rubber or foam matting and cut out a section (for 3cm thick) the size of your foot. 2 sections are needed at 1.5 and 3 at 1 etc. this will allow you to stand on your shoe without the bolts at the bottom getting in the way. you will need to cut out small sections to allow the metal to pass through on the sides of the heel. it should slot in nicely and your foot can now rest on top with no ankle pain. you may find the ankle joint now sits above the ring, that's to be expected.

next, take some more strips of fabric and a 2 part clip for each boot. make sure it loops over your foot comfortably and can touch the bottom of the shoe, when your foot is flat.

STEP 9: The Mechanism

Finally, the mechanism.

saving this to later because its more difficult to make the rest with this hanging at several angles around it. the principle is as follows:

weight is pushed down on the boot, which, using the brace, concentrates the mass to the heel and forward, evenly. the boot then pivots on the heel joining, which is connected to the bar. the resistance of the floor then causes the lever action to take place, pushing the energy only one way: to the spring. The spring stretches, meaning that the moment there is a relief in pressure it will snap back forcing the lever to snap back to its original position, propelling boot and user 45 degrees, with more energy than a standard muscle could manage due to its potential energy in the tension of the spring,.

To make this work, take a small (2cm) piece of the "U" steel and drill a hole through the center of all three sides. then, drill a hole through the rear of the calf support (the semicircular section of the brace) and rivet them together.

Then, take the spring. you'll want it to reach a few centimeters above the ankle ring and should be able to support 1.3 to 1.6x your body weight. fine tuning can work within these parameters. if youre unsure of the strength, use a travel luggage weighing scale and pull till it stretches a little.(minimum pull strength) provided that's close to your body weight it should work. i doubled my springs up, as they were too long, however shortening them does affect the strength.

Next, once youre happy with the length and strength of your springs, take the remainder of your "U" steel. I used 34cm long struts for my legs however that varies on your measurements, and drill holes 2 cm apart down the length of the strut through both sides of the U. Then, simply run a bolt across these two holes with the spring between. (tighten using a nut but be careful to not crush the U.)

You may need to extend your heel piece, by drilling 4 holes through the U shape to stop the extension pivoting and connect a solid extension ( I used right angle brackets flattened by hammer, but they weren't the strongest. I'd recommend a stronger steel than that.)

Then you can run another bolt between the heel and another of the holes in the strut. this should complete the mechanism once tightly bolted but not crushingly so.

I used rubber feet from some old furniture at a car boot, drilled a hole and bolted the foot plate in to place. this spreads the weight and the wider it is the less agile it will be but the steadier it'll be. if you feel unstable and there is no issue with the mechanism try increasing the surface area a little. once this is bolted the boot should be complete.

for comparison, my boot was 14 cm off the floor when resting.

I also installes a small spring from the heel of the rubber foot to the strut to keep in in position for the next step. it is fairly weak but is recommended for running in.

.

STEP 10: All Done! + a Few Important Notes.

This concludes the core part of the boots, all that remains now is to add aesthetics if you'd like and to learn to use your new booties.

for aesthetics, I highly recommend not putting anything but paint below the heel. above that, avoid objects obstructing the moving parts. Other than that enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this instructable, as much as I enjoyed making them! If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/ contact me, its always nice to receive feedback and constructive criticism :)

Thank you again and happy making :)

Comments

[FriXs]

Hi, I am actually working on a pair of bionic boots, too, to help Keahni Seymour with his development(his target speed is about 100km/h), so I think, the more people try to make these boots, the better.
Some hints to help you achieve 25mph:

-use speargum=smoother run
-don't use usual steel. Keashis boots are made of carbon and t6 alloy aluminium. I am on a budget, too, so I used wood(old bed).
-make the tips of the shoes bent, so you run "on your toes"
-best to start from are a pair of used inline-skates
-I am also experimenting with compound-bow-cams
-I'll post an instructable, when my first boot is finished

[Jonnyfive]

Is possible to create a Bionic leg like a prosthesis for normal people Who I can use everyday and do everything I do with my legs, so I was wondering if is possible modified the Jumping stilts I'd like to create a silicon cover for hiding the metal, a kind of skeleton, but there Is a problem I must Hide my feet also, morever I was wondering if is possible modified the design of Jumping stilts for make it less inconspicuous more like a human leg, without lose Power, the spring Is much big on my opinion. I also was wondering if Is possible to create a esoskeleton who work together to stilts for increase to the Power in particolar circomstances for example fighting
using karate, It Will be nice also to create a fake foot based on human feet Better of I can move them, this like replacement of original pad. Is there here everybody Who can help me on this project?

[3967]

Hello, your list of tips is great. I would also love to see your project as instructable.

I think the Boots only can succseed when you can run fast enough with them. The Original invetor on youtube is not fast enoungh (5-10mph ??). I think a real Feet mechanic can add a benefit for running since when a human runs he uses the the feet to land and the toes to accelerate.

greetings

[aleksandarH]

whats speargum

[Zafner]

Spearguns use rubber tubing, kind of like a slingshot or a big rubber band. Rubber bands are called "gumbands" in some places.

[domego321]

Hi how much would it cost to purchase some bionic boots from you

[JonB75]

Are you working with or duplicating the original designer, he made a bunch of prototypes that look better then yours. If you want to make look better, faster run , you need to work with lighter materials or your just copying the jumping stillts.$150 on ebay.

Whats your objective to run faster, longer ?, use less energy, more then the calf muscle needs to be augmented, a knee and thigh linkage also is needed.

[Jonnyfive]

to create a Bionic leg like a prosthesis for normal people Who I can use everyday and do everything I do with my legs, so I was wondering if is possible modified the Jumping stilts I'd like to create a silicon cover for hiding the metal, a kind of skeleton, but there Is a problem I must Hide my feet also, morever I was wondering if is possible modified the design of Jumping stilts for make it less inconspicuous more like a human leg, without lose Power, the spring Is much big on my opinion. I also was wondering if Is possible to create a esoskeleton who work together to stilts for increase to the Power in particolar circomstances for example fighting
using karate, It Will be nice also to create a fake foot based on human feet Better of I can move them, this like replacement of original pad. Is there here everybody Who can help me on this project?

[generaldidsy]

Consider that at this time it was made in a back garden by a 16 year old on pocket money alone. I didn't have $150, let alone the skills multiple years of developing prototypes would give you. This was a one off project to see if it's possible to make such a thing from what was possible. They're not perfect and if I wanted to, I'd make more and iron out the flaws.a knee and thigh linkage would not be needed at all, as long as you're using them correctly. The endurance and speed of them when testing them out were really good, relative to the price and weight of them. For a design that doesn't spend a thousand or so pounds per pair of boots, personally I think they function very well.

[JonB75]

i am not saying you did not do an outstanding job being resourcefull.
what i am saying take guidance from the community here and make them more usable and comfortable. I am trying the same as you but making parts on a 3d printer using other designs like the lab at MIT.
Look at Oscar P with the chetah carbon blades or the jumping stilts.
You should be able to make a more powerful runnig boot wtih same budget. Do you have maker club by you, we have a few in orange county. the more carbon fiber you can use instead of metal , the lighter and faster the boot/ stilt

[Donavan McC]

Where did you buy the materials from? I’m building this for school

[hilario melo]

Calma rapaziada ! A norma é tentativa e erro com muita diversão.

[bagherimohamadbagher]

Did you use a cord instead of springs !! ???

[shariques72]

can i get detail drawing for this. because i have to check it first on solid work

[JonB75]

a cheap add on would to be use nylon corded up with some sort of heat device to heat heat the nylon. see MIT technology review

to add a synthetic muscle to boot , and use a used inline skate boot( i think was recommended) eliminate as much metal as possible.

[NicolasDuca1]

I wouldnt mind paying for the original Bionic Boots but they will not be out for at least 5 months.

[BrendanT5]

Have you thought about using something similar to ski poles on springs to help with stability and speed? How well can you turn a corner?

[Baybren]

Awesome job! I tried building a pair of these without much planning and they got all bent out of shape while trying to stand up. This is a great guide though and I'll probably end up rebuilding them more like yours in the future. One thing I've always wondered about these is how hard is it to balance on them (when running and when standing in place)? It seems rather difficult just from pictures.

[jcross14]

I am having trouble finding springs for this. Any suggestions?

[Virtuat.]

Will it still work if I do not use steel soles on the shoes?