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Robotic Ankle For Amputees Is Developed
Cambridge MA (UPI) Jul 25, 2007 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.
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iRobot Receives New Military Orders 14 PackBot Robots
Burlington MA (SPX) Jul 25, 2007iRobot has received two delivery orders totaling $17.5 million for iRobot) PackBot) robots for the U.S. military. The Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), formerly NAVAIR, on behalf of the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) both placed orders for iRobot's combat-proven military robots. iRobot expects to complete delivery by the end of January 2008. |
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