Hugh Herr

Dec 6, 2024 | media.mit.edu | Simon Makin |Hugh Herr

By Simon MakinThe word bionic conjures sci-fi visions of people enhanced to superhuman levels. It’s true that engineering advances such as better motors and batteries, together with modern computing, mean that the required mechanical and electronic systems are no longer a barrier to advanced prostheses. But the field has struggled to integrate these powerful machines with the human body. That’s starting to change.

Jul 1, 2024 | media.mit.edu | Anne Trafton |Hugh Herr

By Anne Trafton | MIT NewsState-of-the-art prosthetic limbs can help people with amputations achieve a natural walking gait, but they don’t give the user full neural control over the limb. Instead, they rely on robotic sensors and controllers that move the limb using predefined gait algorithms.

May 22, 2024 | media.mit.edu | Hugh Herr

For people with paralysis or amputation, neuroprosthetic systems that artificially stimulate muscle contraction with electrical current can help them regain limb function. However, despite many years of research, this type of prosthesis is not widely used because it leads to rapid muscle fatigue and poor control. MIT researchers have developed a new approach that they hope could someday offer better muscle control with less fatigue.

Dec 1, 2023 | media.mit.edu | David Sweeney |Hugh Herr

The Media Lab is enhancing human physical capability and revolutionizing mental wellbeing using digital technologies and human-computer interaction. This research pioneers transformative approaches to intuitively control prosthetic devices, harnessing the power of residual limb signals in amputees.

Jul 2, 2023 | media.mit.edu | Hugh Herr

MIT's K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics and Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation aim to develop an integrative approach to strengthening and expanding the orthotic and prosthetic sector within the African nation. MIT's K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics has entered into a collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone to strengthen the capabilities and services of that country's orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) sector.