A new bionic leg can be controlled by the brain alone
Those using the prosthetic can walk as fast as those with intact lower limbs
BEFORE HUGH Herr became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he was a promising rock climber. But after being trapped in a blizzard during a climb at age 17, he lost both his legs below the knee to frostbite. Since then he has worked on creating prosthetic legs that would work and feel like the real thing. He appears to have succeeded.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Best foot forward”
From the July 6th 2024 edition
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