Systems and methods for a multi-axis robotic platform for studying neuromechanics of an ankle joint

A multi-axis robotic platform comprising:

• a bottom plate;
• a top plate positioned over the bottom plate, the top plate including a support surface for receiving an ankle;
• a middle plate, movably coupled between the bottom plate and the top plate;
• a first actuator positioned along the bottom plate and connected to the middle plate via a first coupling such that a shaft of the first actuator rotates the middle plate along a dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (DP) axis of the ankle;
• a second actuator positioned along the middle plate and connected to the top plate via a second coupling such that a shaft of the second actuator rotates the top plate along an inversion-eversion (IE) axis of the ankle;
• and
• a control system for controlling the first actuator and the second actuator, the control system operable to switch between a position control mode and a haptic control mode to simulate realistic mechanical environments and transiently perturb the ankle to characterize its neuromuscular properties.