Bionic foot: new generation in leg prosthetics
Researchers have recently developed a bionic foot complete with an ankle, something previous generations of prosthetics lacked. Bionic limbs have long since been in research but efforts have mainly been focused on the upper limbs, which is what makes this new kind of prosthetic an important achievement.
Garth Stewart, who lost part of a leg in an explosion in Iraq, is the recipient of this new technology. He demonstrated the new ankle in Providence, in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The leg prosthetic was aimed to act like a biological one, built to provide the user with improved balance and the push forward that a real ankle gives. It reduces fatigue and “provides amputees with a truly humanlike gait.”
Leg prosthetics have previously only been built with springs, while this new bionic one is powered by a motor, putting less strain on the user. The downward motion of the user as he walks expends energy which is stored and is released with the help of the motor upon the upward motion, allowing them to walk more naturally than just being pushed forward by springs. The device was built by Professor Hugh Herr, head of the biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab.
Next, Herr hopes to invent wireless implants that can send signals from the amputee’s muscles directly into the device to provide more control. What would have happened if Luke and Anakin lost their feet instead? The bionic leg is hoped to be released by summer next year.
Via MIT News
Researchers have recently developed a bionic foot complete with an ankle, something previous generations of prosthetics lacked. Bionic limbs have long since been in research but efforts have mainly been focused on the upper limbs, which is what makes this new kind of prosthetic an important achievement.
Garth Stewart, who lost part of a leg in an explosion in Iraq, is the recipient of this new technology. He demonstrated the new ankle in Providence, in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The leg prosthetic was aimed to act like a biological one, built to provide the user with improved balance and the push forward that a real ankle gives. It reduces fatigue and “provides amputees with a truly humanlike gait.”
Leg prosthetics have previously only been built with springs, while this new bionic one is powered by a motor, putting less strain on the user. The downward motion of the user as he walks expends energy which is stored and is released with the help of the motor upon the upward motion, allowing them to walk more naturally than just being pushed forward by springs. The device was built by Professor Hugh Herr, head of the biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab.
Next, Herr hopes to invent wireless implants that can send signals from the amputee’s muscles directly into the device to provide more control. What would have happened if Luke and Anakin lost their feet instead? The bionic leg is hoped to be released by summer next year.
Via MIT News