Robotic ankle for amputees is developed

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 24 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have created the world's first robotic ankle -- an important advance for lower-limb amputees.

The device, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, propels a person forward using tendon-like springs and an electric motor. Researchers said their robotic ankle reduces fatigue, improves balance and provides amputees with a more fluid gait.

The prototype was created by MIT Professor Hugh Herr and colleagues.

"This design releases three times the power of a conventional prosthesis to propel you forward and, for the first time, provides amputees with a truly humanlike gait," said Herr, a double amputee who tested his own invention. "It's wild, like you're on one of those moving walkways in the airport."

The new device is light, flexible, and -- most importantly -- generates energy for walking beyond that which can be released from a spring alone.

Ultimately, researchers want to determine if an implant could be used to mechanically attach an artificial limb directly to an amputee's residual limb bone, eliminating the discomfort experienced with conventional prostheses.

Engineers said the device could become commercially available as early as next summer.