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MIT’s Technology Review magazine has a story on a power-assist prosthetic ankle. Researchers claim the prosthetic requires less effort to walk because it mimics human legs and ankles are able to store energy which is expended when the foot hits the ground.

quote:

The researchers mimicked this strategy with a series of springs and a small, battery-powered motor. The kinetic energy of the forward motion of the walker is stored in a power-assisted spring that is then released to help propel the foot forward as it pushes off the ground.

The new ankle is about 20% more efficient than previous prostheses, a significant improvement compared with the 3 to 4% boosts the researchers have achieved in the past.

The team is now trying to make the device lighter and more robust. The researchers aim to have a commercial version available by early next year.


Read the full article here.
 
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