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HekateLesedi β Digigrade Leg Design
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Published: 2007-09-18 05:11:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 21581; Favourites: 166; Downloads: 1965
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Description
For my fursona. I want to make a costume, and I really want to make it right. So digigrade feet it is. As well as a nearly realistic head. I still need to figure out exactly what kind of foam to use, as well as how to set up the balaclava head model, and a few other things, as well. And how to make it so I can see out of it.There's a lot I need to do, and I don't really know how to do any of it, but I'd like to try. I can do most of the costume on my own, but the head and the feet are going to be quite the endevour.
It also doesn't help that I don't really have the skills or equipment (or money, either) to actually create a fur suit. But I've always been one to decide to do something before I actually had the skills, and it usually turns out more or less okay.
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Comments: 39
I feel like the toes would be crushed, I suggest having holes for them to go through like sandals, other then that it looks great
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Cool! I'd recommend adding thigh support, but if this is a design you're interested in you're free to use it.
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This is on the right track, though. Making the instep appear elongated is the key to this illusion. There are some engineering issues here, but its close to the mark.
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The design is a few years old at this point, and I had no idea what I was doing. I might revisit the concept in the future. I know it would need thigh support in a redesign, and I'd need to make sure the center of gravity is maintained.
Thank you so much for your input. I really do appreciate it. If you have any further input, I'd be thrilled to hear it.
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Your design is very clever. I've wanted to see a successfully working ungulate leg design for years, so I have dwelt on it over and over. Here are a few thoughts I've had. Most designs break down into two concepts: 1) the variation on the high-heel shoe, 2) walking as a human normally, but simulating the ungulate leg with an armature while hiding the real foot with hair. The later designs are all ill-conceived. Your design is neither, which excites me!
The more I consider the forces at work in a costume mod like this, the more I realize that it just won't translate directly from the real dog/goat anatomy of a toe-walker to humans. The human foot is just not built for that, or even to closely simulate it. We are just too weak below the knee. I've done some conditioning for barefoot running that transitions my foot-strike the forefoot instead of the heel, but it's not nearly enough to accommodate becoming an ungulate like this. Given this understanding, I feel that the design will have to place certain stops and tension springs to make the human leg capable of walking like this for any extended period. Imagine the burn in the legs from trying to hold a crouch for more than just one or two minutes! Those kinds of features would make this project an engineering feat!
Even the designs based on high-heel shoes create some stiffness. But if you actually watch the walking of a dog or goat, you will see that very little toe/hoof movement occurs. The animal essentially balances on the point of the lower leg because every inch of movement exponentially increases the force of gravity downward. The leg becomes a lever increasing the power of gravity. This is bad! In a high-heel shoe, the toes can flex, but the point of the shoe acts as a stop so the human foot can heel strike without collapsing. The only way around this is to walk with a very short stride so the downward force isn't too largely magnified.
However, there are is a springy and curved prosthetic that simulates the goat foot relatively well. I've seen one or two designs online that are based on the prosthetic/stilts, rigid design. I think the engineering of them are beyond most to fabricate successfully at home. Again, it will require that the human walk in a semi-crouched position, which will greatly tire the upper leg. But if the hoof was flexible but directly below the heel, and largely irrelevant to the support of the leg.
Your thoughts?
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This is based on the designs used in the Underworld movies, so it is practically feasible, i just don't have access to the materials I'd need in order to build it for real. It also needs some support for the thigh in the design. According to physics, so long as the hip and foot are in alignment with each other, it should work.
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When I live somewhere with a workspace I can make a mess out of and not have to worry about impeding on my ability to use my apartment. Β Or when I get a friend who's willing to let me use their space for the same. Β Whichever comes first.
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I wish you luck then, friend.
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Thank you very much.
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No. Β I never got the mats I needed. Β I still really want to, though. Β Problem is that I'm in a small apartment now, so I can't really devote the amount of space I'd require to make these bad boys.
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i've ben working on my own digigrade feet, and have a few tips if you're still wanting to get the pattern to this better.
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Yes. I would love to make the design better.
Ideas ranging from mats to styling are all very much appreciated.
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alright. well, i have my own reference i've bee drawing but since i'm gonna have a pro at robotics and wood working look at it tomorrow, i'll simply give u a link that helped me out ALOT in the ideas.
[link]
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Nice design, I'd like to try it out and see if it works.
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That's not going to happen until I get some more money than I have right now. Working minimum wage sucks.
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Very nice!
Would it be okay if I were to favorite this and put it under "reference"? I ask because it may encourage others to use this sort of design for their costumes/suits or at least something inspired by this and I just want to make sure that you'd be okay with that. Some people are like "This is my concept, come up with your own", which is understandable, especially in some cases. If that is not how you feel about it, then I would like to 
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By all means. If you think that my design's good, put it out there. Just let them know it's mine. I've never actually created any of these, so it's more of a theory than an actual design.
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Yay, awesome! 
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Hmm...gonna have to keep my eye on this, I've been curious how to pull off digitigrade feet. Of course, balance might not be a problem with my char, because I could simply improvise some heel springs if needed. Still, I like the thought you put into the design.
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Thanks, though I need to remake the design, 'cause for balance issues it really is necessary to have thigh supports.
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Very nice design, they look like the ones used in Underworld, which is where I ripped the design for mine from in the beginning. because I choose not to work with fiberglass cause I hate it, I made mine from steel mostly. velcro is a beloved friend of mine, and also rivits. In one trial, we tried to remove the braceing that goes over the thigh, but found that the movement is much better with it intact and having the cable that runs up the back of the leg attached at the lower thigh vrs. the upper calf.
Your drawings are so very clean, your gonna cry with dismay when you see how sloppy mine are... I know I already am.. ^^
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Ahaha. This was the final penned drawing. Good to know, though. Fiberglass is probably really hard to find. What kind of metal bracing did you use? Can this be made with ordinary tools I'd have around my house? (Okay, it's my parents' house, but still). They have skilsawz and things like that.
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Very good, Very good. I've made myself a pair (for next to nothing) and like you, I just want to create a costume for the challenge. This design is very much the same as the one I came up with. Youβre like the 4th person I know of, who has even attempted to design a pair.
If your interested in seeing the pair I created you can find the original design as well as pics of the finished legs and a video of me walking in them in my scraps. I might be able to help you but I can't give away all my secretes because my design is mostly classified since I plan on perhaps selling pairs in the future.
Non the less good luck.
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Any mats you'd recommend?
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Very awesome. You might see if you could have the hardware made by someone who makes prosthetics for amputees. This would probably be right up their alley, and they'd probably have the skill to make it relatively comfortable. Wonderful concept!
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Oh. That'd probably be perfect! Of course, I'd have to stop being broke, first, but that's great! Thank you!
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Well you can always try to work out a trade arrangement with the prosthetics person (and I was thinking, it really doesn't have to be someone who does medical prosthetics, someone who does good theatrical prosthetics could probably do just as well) with free advertising ("If you make these for me, I'll carry around a stack of your business cards at the con") or offer to find other people who would like a set, and who would pay for it (If I sell five pairs of these to other people, will you make me a set, too?") or just try to sell the design. You could also take lots and lots of pictures and send the prostetics guy copies as a testimonial. At any rate, you should be able to get a discount for it. It might be totally doable.
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Thank you so much! This is great!
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Let me know how it goes, I totally look forward to hearing! I'm not much into the anthro thing, but I've always wanted to make a fursuit simply for the challenge.
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That's actually why I want to make one, as well. Just sort of to know if I can do it, y' know?
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Wow, that is insane! I see how it could be done, but I think fabricating it to take your weight (and not break your toes) would be the hardest part.
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Heh. Well, There's a strap I'd use to keep my foot back in the heel of the contraption. And I might end up making it an open-toed design, to save my feet. ^^'
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