Ordinarily, prosthetic legs have ankle joints that are passive, moving only in response to pressure exerted by the user. As a result, walking up stairs or over uneven ground can be difficult. A new "smart" prosthetic ankle, however, adjusts its foot angle according to what the user is doing.
Continue Reading
Researchers have developed an “e-dermis” or electronic skin that could be applied to a prosthetic hand to give the wearer a sense of touch. By using electronic sensors that mimic the nerve endings in the body, the skin can convey both the senses of touch and of pain.
Continue Reading
Although artificial hips allow many people to remain mobile, the things do wear out after a while, often requiring replacement surgeries. The need for such operations may soon become less frequent, however, thanks to research being conducted at the University of Arkansas.
Continue Reading
A hospital in Jordan is trialing the use of 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to treat refugees injured in the ongoing conflict in Syria. The technology allows an artificial limb to be designed and built within 24 hours, and at a fraction of the cost of conventional prostheses.
Continue Reading
Scientists at the MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University have tested a non-invasive artificial larynx and found it capable of generating a high-quality voice.
Continue Reading
Musician Jason Barnes had part of his arm amputated in 2012, but with the help of a team led by prosthetics researcher GIl Weinberg he has found new ways to keep honing his craft, the latest example being a prosthetic arm that enables fine control over the keys of a piano.
Continue Reading
Youbionic started taking pre-orders for its 3D-printed robotic hand early last year. The company recently launched a new version, but hasn't stopped there. Looking to a near future where robotic enhancements make for improved humans, a two-handed prosthetic has been developed and gone up for sale.
Continue Reading
With the whole body pressing down on the point of contact, prosthetic legs can be painful, awkward and cause infections. Now scientists from ONR have developed a more comfortable “smart” prosthetic that can be attached at will, and monitored for infection and stress with an array of sensors.
Continue Reading
To make prosthetics feel more natural, researchers at MIT are working on a new surgical technique that uses existing nerves and muscle grafts that creates a better sense of where a limb is in space and how much force is put on it.
Continue Reading
Lamborghini is collaborating with the Houston Methodist Research Institute in Texas to explore carbon fiber as a materials option for implants and other medical uses.
Continue Reading
See the stories that matter in your inbox every morning