Robotics and Prosthetics for New Life
Learning Objective
I can analyze how advancements in robotics and prosthetics improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
Key Concepts
Hugh Herr's bionic legs have mechanical, dynamic, and electrical interfaces that allow attachment to the body, movement like flesh and bone, and communication with the nervous system.
Synthetic skins with stiffness variations that mirror underlying tissue biomechanics are used to attach bionic limbs to the biological body, using data from MRI and robotic tools to build a mathematical description of the biological limb.
Bionic limbs, like the BiOMs, use computer control to manage stiffness at heel strike and output high torques and powers at mid-stance, emulating muscle function and enabling feats like running and climbing stairs.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 10 practice questions to reinforce learning.
View questions preview
1. What was the primary motivation behind the speaker's initial work in developing specialized limbs?
2. Explain how the design of the speaker's bionic limbs addresses the mechanical interface between the limb and the body.
3. Describe how the BiOM bionic limbs mimic the function of biological muscles during walking.
...and 7 more questions
Educational Video
New bionics let us run, climb and dance | Hugh Herr | TED
TED