Machines Like Us

For amputees, a prosthetic foot takes the effort out of walking.

Hugh Herr has spent the past decade building better prosthetic limbs, but this week was the first time he was able to demonstrate one of his own devices. A double amputee since he was in a rock-climbing accident in 1982, Herr unveiled his latest design at an MIT conference on Wednesday: a novel prosthesis modeled on the human ankle.

"This is the first prosthesis that allows for a humanlike gait," said Herr, director of the biomechatronics group at the MIT Media Lab, as he walked around the stage during his presentation. He wore the new device on his right leg and his standard prosthesis, encased in a worn black shoe, on his left. "It's strong enough to push my body forward and to propel me up stairs."

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