&ldquo;When I touch the stump with my hand, I feel tingling in my missing hand, my phantom hand. But feeling the temperature variation is a different thing, something important... something beautiful,&rdquo; says Francesca Rossi.Rossi is an amputee from Bologna, Italy. She recently participated in a study to test the effects of temperature feedback directly to the skin on her residual arm. She is one of 17 patients to have felt her phantom, missing hand, change in temperature thanks to new EPFL technology. More importantly, she reports feeling reconnected to her missing hand.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ccy2rpjkhxQ?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> &ldquo;Temperature feedback is a nice sensation because you feel the limb, the phantom limb, entirely. It does not feel phantom anymore because your limb is back,&rdquo; Rossi continues.Researchers Silvestro Micera and Solaiman Shokur have been keen on incorporating new sensory feedback into prosthetic limbs for providing more realistic touch to amputees, and their latest study focuses on temperature. They stumbled upon a discovery about temperature feedback that far exceeds their expectations.If you place something hot or cold on the forearm of an intact individual, that person will feel the object&rsquo;s temperature locally, directly on their forearm. But in amputees, that temperature sensation on the residual arm may be felt&shy;&hellip; in the phantom, missing hand.By providing temperature feedback non-invasively, via thermal electrodes (aka thermodes) placed against the skin on the residual arm, amputees like Rossi report feeling temperature in their phantom limb. They can feel if an object is hot or cold, and can tell if they are touching copper, plastic or glass. In a collaboration between EPFL, Sant&rsquo;Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA) and Centro Protesi Inail, the technology was successfully tested in 17 out of 27 patients. The results are published in Science.&ldquo;Of particular importance is that phantom thermal sensations are perceived by the patient as similar to the thermal sensations experienced by their intact hand,&quot; explains Shokur, EPFL senior scientist neuroengineer who co-led the study.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764143446-f5080511.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">2023 EPFL / Neuro-X Institute&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">Towards realistic bionic touch</h2>The projection of temperature sensations into the phantom limb has led to the development of new bionic technology, one that equips prosthetics with non-invasive temperature feedback that allows amputees to discern what they&rsquo;re touching.&ldquo;Temperature feedback is essential for relaying information that goes beyond touch, it leads to feelings of affection. We are social beings and warmth is an important part of that,&rdquo; says Micera, Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, professor at EPFL and SSSA who also co-led the study. &ldquo;For the first time, after many years of research in my laboratory showing that touch and position information can be successfully delivered, we envisage the possibility of restoring all of the rich sensations that one&rsquo;s natural hand can provide.&rdquo;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764173810-1440x948.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Silvestro Micera holding a thermal sensor on a prosthetic index finger.&nbsp;<h2>Temperature feedback, from well-being to prosthetics</h2>A few years ago, Micera and Shokur got wind of a system that could provide<a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6775436" rel="noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;temperature feedback through the skin of healthy subjects</a>, also developed at EPFL and spun-off by Metaphysiks.Metaphysiks has been developing neuro-haptic technology, MetaTouch, which connects the body with digital worlds. MetaTouch combines touch and temperature feedback to augment physical products for well-being.&ldquo;This breakthrough highlights the power of haptics to improve medical conditions and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities,&rdquo; says Simon Gallo, Co-founder and Head of Technology at Metaphysiks.The EPFL neuroengineers borrowed MetaTouch that provides thermal feedback directly to a user&rsquo;s skin. With this device, they discovered the thermal phantom sensations and subsequently tested it in 27 amputees.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764236941-1440x960.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Fabrizio Fidati (left) and Jonathan Muheim.&nbsp;<h2>The Minitouch prototype and tests</h2>For the study, Shokur and Micera developed the MiniTouch, a device that provides thermal feedback and specifically built for integration into wearable devices like prosthetics. The MiniTouch consists of a thin, wearable sensor that can be placed over an amputee&rsquo;s prosthetic finger. The finger sensor detects thermal information about the object being touched, more specifically, the object&rsquo;s heat conductivity. If the object is metallic, it will naturally conduct more heat or cold than, for instance, a plastic one. A thermode, one that is in contact with the skin on the amputee&rsquo;s residual arm, heats up or cools down, relaying the temperature profile of the object being touched by the finger sensor.&ldquo;When we presented the possibility to get back temperature sensation on the phantom limb or the possibility to feel the contact with different materials, we obtained a lot of positive feedback. And eventually, we were able to recruit more than 25 volunteers in less than two years,&rdquo; says Federico Morosato who was responsible for organizing the clinical aspect of the trials at Centro Protesi Inail.The scientists found that small areas of skin on the residual arm project to specific parts of the phantom hand, like the thumb, or the tip of an index finger. As expected, they discovered that the mapping of temperature sensations between the residual arm and the entire projected phantom one is unique to each patient.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764284070-1440x961.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Fabrizio Fidati (left) and Jonathan Muheim.&nbsp;<h2>Bionic prosthetics for repairing the human body</h2>Almost a decade ago, Micera and colleagues provided real-time sensory feedback about objects being grasped. They went on to improve touch resolution by providing feedback about an object&rsquo;s texture and position information in a reliable way. Moreover, they discovered that amputees begin to embody their prosthetic hand if provided with sensory feedback directly into their intact nervous system. The added sensation of temperature feedback is yet another step towards building bionic prosthetics for repairing the human body. Fine-tuning temperature sensations and integrating these into a wearable device that can be mapped out to each patient are part of the next steps.

The MiniTouch, a device that allows amputees to feel hot and cold in their phantom hand. 2023 EPFL / Alain Herzog.

An unexpected discovery about temperature feedback has led to new bionic technology that allows amputees to sense the temperature of objects ­– both hot and cold – directly in the phantom hand. The technology opens up new avenues for non-invasive prosthetics.

Amputees feel warmth in their missing hand

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Tried and tested (and free)</h2>Biomimetics is the method by which scientists borrow successful ideas from nature to use in their own inventions. The advantage of this approach is that the solutions found among animals and plants are not subject to any patent. And over countless millennia, there are certain structures and mechanisms in nature that have allowed all sorts of living things to survive in various conditions. Thus, developers can rely on nature&rsquo;s best ideas, modify them as needed, and create robots that resemble beings we&rsquo;re already familiar with.<blockquote>&ldquo;For instance, there&rsquo;s a German company named Festo that specializes in various biomimetic solutions. They have a kangaroo robot that, just like the real thing, conserves energy after a jump and uses it for the next one. There are other notable inventions: the well-known Spot robot-dogs, worm-like medical robots, or even drug delivery bots modeled after fish. Some specialists develop mechanisms based on plant life &ndash; plantoids. But that&rsquo;s still a work in progress and it&rsquo;ll be some time before you can buy one in a store,&rdquo; explains Pavel Kovalenko, an associate professor at the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics.</blockquote><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">More ground to cover</h2>Nevertheless, the biomimetic method suffers from several limitations. Firstly, scientists have not been successful in recreating the principles or developing materials that would allow them to fully replicate certain species. Take geckos: these lizards&rsquo; paws are covered with microscopic adhesive hairs that can stick to any smooth vertical surface and traverse it. But researchers are yet to create a similar technology that would be suitable for industrial production.<blockquote>&ldquo;When we try to create the same product using nanolithography, the hairs come out different: not splayed like they should be, but rather conical or simply crudely shaped. Because of this, the adhesion is not adequate. In addition, artificial materials cannot self-clean and, therefore, lose their stickiness. It&rsquo;s like a piece of duct tape that you apply and tear off again and again,&rdquo; says Pavel Kovalenko.</blockquote>The second limitation of biomimetics is the scalability of natural mechanisms: as a rule, the ideas used at nanoscale are not always reproducible in macroscale. This forces researchers to look for other solutions to applied problems. For instance, instead of a robotic gecko, they will also create a snail that can climb vertical surfaces.Last but not least, for robots to function as animals, researchers have to truly synchronize their control system, its components, and parts of the robot. According to Pavel Kovalenko, this can be achieved when both the software and the engineering aspects of the robot are developed by a single team with a clear view of their final outcome.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">A robotic zoo at ITMO</h2>Despite all these challenges, students and graduates of ITMO&rsquo;s Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics are actively engaged in biomimetics, having already completed several stages of their research. First, they analyzed the behavior, body structure and functions of living organisms, and then based on this step decided which body parts they should recreate in their work. They have also selected flexible materials resembling existing animals. At the next stage, the researchers performed calculations, chose the digital components and motors for the robot, and developed the necessary software. As a result, they have already created several model robotic animals.For instance, ITMO graduate Georgy Larionenko developed a waterproof robotic fish with a moving tail that works on two magnets. A servomotor inside the waterproof body activates the first magnet, which in its turn activates the second one that is connected to the fluke. This way, by moving its tail in the water, the robotic fish can swim &ndash; both in fresh and salty water, as experiments have shown. The robot can be useful for gauging the parameters of the water and the ocean floor in various conditions, including in the arctic region.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fYqbsCFRuS0?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" style="width: 768px; height: 429px;"></iframe>A team of three graduates, Oksana Shuraeva, Anastasia Yusupova, and Anton Kovalenko, has developed a robotic snail. It can crawl down inclined surfaces by intermittently extending and retracting its &ldquo;paws,&rdquo; two spirals with plates attached to them. In order to guide the robot in the necessary direction, a servomotor, located in its shell, positions the snail&rsquo;s head at the needed angle, so that the rest of its body can follow suit. One application of this invention is window cleaning &ndash; the snail will leave a trail of detergent behind.Elizaveta Shelukhina, another ITMO graduate, wanted to make a device that will be protected from its environment. She could take inspiration from several animals, including turtles, hedgehogs, and armadillos, but eventually decided to settle on the latter, creating the concept for robotic armadillo. When the robot senses that something is falling on it or if someone kicks it, it rolls into a ball to protect its silicon insides. When the external influence ends, the robot unrolls back into its full length. Such robotic armadillos can come in handy in rescue missions, when there is a high risk of buildings collapsing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655602540-1282503.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Robotic snail. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655652013-1282504.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The snail&rsquo;s locomotion mechanism includes two spirals with plates attached to them. The spirals are activated by two D41AB12 DC motors and when climbing an inclined surface the snail&rsquo;s front part is controlled by an FS5106B servomotor. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655682130-1282501.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The concept of a protected armadillo robot developed by Elizaveta Shelukhina. When hit by something, the robot rolls into a ball to protect its insides. Photo by Dmitry Grigoryev, ITMO.NEWS&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655703530-1282502.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The robotic fish presented at the Robotex youth robotics contect. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp; &nbsp;These days, students at the faculty are also developing various robotic animals. For example, Maged Mohamed, a second-year student in the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Master&rsquo;s program, researches biomimetics to come up with his own prototype of a waterproof fish that will also resist the pressure deep underwater to collect samples of the bottom and water for analysis.&nbsp;<hr>Translated by&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/30/&source=gmail&ust=1665742142569000&usg=AOvVaw3TxK7CnbdCJBWzW22ae5a2" href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/30/" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vadim Galimov</a> and <a href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/51/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Catherine Zavodova</a>, and originally published by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.itmo.ru/en/&source=gmail&ust=1665742142569000&usg=AOvVaw2LChR-pA6lYpYiNzCB_TIH" href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/" target="_blank">ITMO.NEWS</a>

Boston Dynamics’ Spot, bionic kangaroos and even ants – biomimetics allows us to replicate almost any living thing. But why do roboticists look to animals for inspiration, what do they do at ITMO, and how do you make a robot act “natural”?

Biomimetics: The Science of Robo-Animals

People living with disabilities don't want special treatment; they want equal opportunity. The ability to act independently of, and at the same time connect with, others when moving, communicating, learning, working, and socializing.Technology is making this increasingly viable, as assistive and adaptive technologies create a more accessible world for people living with a range of disabilities, including limb differences, motor neuron disease, as well as the blind and deaf.Much of this development has focused on smartphones and computers, but wireless IoT technology also plays its role.<h2>The world around us</h2>Connected technologies such as environmental sensors, smart objects, and wearables are powerful tools. They can provide various inclusive and assistive information services in near real-time and connect people with disabilities with their work, home, and other environments:<ul><li>Indoor and outdoor wayfinding solutions employing computer vision, augmented reality, and wireless optical communications are assisting the visually impaired navigate their way from home to work and back again</li><li>Clothing embedding haptic stimulation sensors can enable the deaf to 'feel the beat' of a musical performance</li><li>Robotic limbs and bionic exoskeletons are giving the wearer control of their environment and the ability to stand and walk</li></ul><h2>Wearables for tackling MND</h2>Nordic Semiconductor has been working closely with customers who develop wireless solutions for those living with a disability. One such company is Control Bionics, whose wearable assistive technology offers people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—also known as motor neuron disease (MND)—the ability to communicate despite paralysis or loss of speech. The small, non-invasive sensor is placed on the skin over the muscle chosen to be the switch. When the user attempts to move that muscle, the device interprets the signals sent from the brain to the muscle and uses those signals to control a paired computer, tablet, or smartphone wirelessly.<h2>Bluetooth LE bionic arms</h2>Another example is U.S. non-profit organization, Limbitless Solutions, which creates personalized bionic arms for children suffering from limb differences. The prosthetic limbs employ electromyographic (EMG) sensors to pick up signals generated by muscle movements in the wearer's upper arm. The forearm section of the bionic arm contains a battery pack that powers the motors controlling the different movements, while the hand unit includes the core electronics and motors for the fine control of the individual fingers. Bluetooth LE connectivity enables set-up, adjustment, and monitoring of the arm from a smartphone app, for example, to precisely determine the degree of muscle flexing required to generate a certain force in the fingers, and to help the child learn how to manipulate their new arm.<h2>Next-gen connectivity solutions</h2>Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity and next-generation SoCs play an essential role in ensuring the viability of these and other technologies for end-users living with disabilities. They provide a low latency wireless link to a smartphone or tablet for ease of control, and also low power consumption in an ultra-miniaturized form factor.Avoiding having to charge our devices frequently is a significant advantage to any user, and none of us want a clunky wearable that is uncomfortable to wear. Still, the benefits are more fundamental when that device is in near-constant use or is relied upon for daily life. For example, bionic arms must be comfortable, lightweight, and easy to use, particularly for children. Smartwatches for the blind, meanwhile, must be able to last at least a full day on a single charge.As these assistive technologies become more sophisticated and ambitious in their scope, wireless SoCs will need to keep pace. Nordic's new nRF53 Series has been designed to meet the likely requirements of developers in the future. It offers a new flexible, dual-processor hardware architecture, low power, and the ability to support miniaturized machine learning, edge processing, and LE Audio.<h2>The promise of LE Audio</h2>LE Audio, for instance, has the potential to significantly improve the experience of users of hearing aids and hearing implants by supporting a feature called Audio Sharing. Thanks to LE Audio, people with hearing loss will be able to realize the same benefits of Bluetooth audio enjoyed by users of standard Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, including wireless calling, listening, and watching. Audio Sharing will enable an advanced new type of Assistive Listening Systems with higher audio quality and greater privacy that avoids the challenges of sound quality, spill-over (magnetic interference created by multiple hearing loops in close proximity), and costs of current systems.Wireless technology exists now, and it can provide disabled users with the ability to participate in all aspects of life on more equal terms than previously possible.&nbsp;<hr>This article was first published on Nordic's&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" id="isPasted"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get Connected Blog</a>.

People living with disabilities don't want special treatment; they want equal opportunity. The ability to act independently of, and at the same time connect with, others when moving, communicating, learning, working, and socializing.

Connected IoT tech promotes accessibility for all

This article is a part of our <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program</a>. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe.This is a typical situation where the use of bio-location is used ineffectively. &nbsp;Dolphins are smart. They are clever enough to distinguish between useless tasks and really necessary ones. From the side of humans, it can be seen as unwillingness to perform learning tasks. Consider for example the Blue Game 2002 military training. The dolphins were airlifted to Denmark from San Diego in the US and housed in pairs in two large pools. During one of the training trips to the sea, the dolphin did not return to the support boat. The Navy decided to request help from a rescue helicopter to search for the dolphin from the air. After the helicopter took off from Slipshavn, a message came from the police that the dolphin was in Nyborg. As a result, a dolphin was quickly found frolicking in the inner harbor of the port [1,2]. This is approximately how freedom-loving animals react to the need for long-distance flights to search for dummies of mines.At the same time, when the dolphin himself decides to save a drowning person, then there are no problems. However, it is this skill of dolphins that is least often used. It&#39;s a matter of priorities. The technical possibilities of accommodation on rescue ships have existed for a long time. For instance, Dolphins are carried aboard Navy ships in large movable pools, about 20 feet in diameter &amp; traveled on the amphibious ship Gunston Hall in 2003 for the Iraq war [3].Below I will consider more complex examples of using another predator sensor apparatus for searching in the sea. Pattern recognition techniques can be complex, but they serve to make searching easier.<h2 id="isPasted">Signals processing from different sources to have a complete picture of the situation</h2>One of the important aspects is a separation of partial information useless for the primary user of the data, and useful for rescue services. &nbsp;The algorithms used by nature were tested for millions of years. There is a reason for people to use bionic principles to improve electronic surveillance technologies.<h2>The loss of signal</h2>The sunken ship disappears from radar screens and stops to transmit the signals. Data on the last radio contact give rapidly deteriorated information. In any case, it is used not only one point. The vectors are constructed as follows:&nbsp;<ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>Between the point of the last contact and the point, at which the ship would be located, if it moved at the same speed and in the same direction;&nbsp;</li><li>Vector to the point, at which the ship would be located with the power-on engine, if it drifted (towards the current);</li><li>Vector pointed to the opposite side of incoming waves (if necessary, the captain heads the ship to minimize side impacts of waves).&nbsp;</li></ul>All three vectors should be inside the initial spot of the search. They can considerably increase it, depending on the deterioration rate of information.<h3>Usage of data on the movement of marked sea predators</h3>A shark sensory apparatus has a high degree of perfection due to evolutionary processes. They recognize an odour very well, especially blood smell. The possibility of using this methodology means no good. If sharks smelled blood and changed their moving direction towards the accident site, it means that any of the survivors has open wounds. That direction can be well defined. The intersection of sharks&rsquo; moving directions is an area of the probable location of the survivors. For the success of a rescue operation, the survivors must be discovered before the sharks will find them. It should be noted that the moving directions of the sharks near the prey are less informative because predators prefer to unexpectedly attack and move in a composite path prior to the attack.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI1NDkwMzM3ODUzLUZpZyAxLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Schematic single map with superimposition of data">Figure 1: Schematic single map with superimposition of data<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI1NDkwMzkyODQzLUZpZyAyLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Schematic representation methodology based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in selected range">Figure 2: Schematic representation methodology based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in selected range.</div></div><h3>All methods mentioned above produce a pretty poor result in themselves</h3>Only superimposition of the data, for instance, information from different sources, on a single map can yield a result Figure 1. The formed sum of points on a map is processed by conventional mathematical methods for error estimation in order to define the search area.The methods for processing the images on the retina of different living beings and their applicability to change the operation algorithms of conventional equipment used for the same purpose have fundamentally been reviewed in detail by many scientists: Nobel Prize winners David H. Hubel and Torsten N Wiesel, and some others like Kaganitsky Grigory, Mary Carlson, Kevin R. Duffy, Rafael Gonzalez [7-9]. The selection of electromagnetic wavelength range is determined by the properties of the object to be found. Radio waves are best suited for search of the metal structure remains of the ship and infrared region &ndash; for the search of the survivors.The methodology is based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in a selected range. Each scanning pass gives a more and more sophisticated picture. The analysis of intermediate results can be carried out in each phase, starting from the first scanning pass. If the boundary condition (object availability) is fulfilled, the codes responsible for the selected area become active, and the rest of the codes are blocked. At every next step with increasing resolution, the image details become more specific. In fact, a part of the analysis is performed outside the control centre, which receives code groups already prepared for identification Figure 2. &nbsp;A processing speed is assured due to information processing in parallel. The initial capturing of the group of objects occurs without contour extraction. Then, the division of identifiable objects and the construction of bundles between them based on the shortest distances take place. If there is a sector less in area than the spot of objects and bundles between them, which surrounds it, this sector is also captured for further analysis. With higher resolution in the selected areas based on previously given parameters, the sequence of the most significant targets is determined. The codes are compared in a sequence of targets, and in the absence of coincidence, the transfer to the next target of the group occurs. The continuously complicated group of codes arranged as linked lists is a result of such analysis constantly carried out.After the necessary and sufficient conditions are met for the identification of the objects, a full scanning is performed with the maximum resolution for the initial area, while prompt decisions are made regarding the identified objects. This means that utilizing these principles does not abolish a usual sequential scanning of the areas with maximum resolution, but gives an opportunity to promptly receive a discrete flow of the data (that becomes more and more detailed after every iteration) for potential quick reaction and problem-solving.The analysis can be simultaneously carried out with the use of several receivers that have different resolutions or types of signal injection (discrete and continuous). For example, the initial capture of the image can be performed with the help of video (low resolution), however, the identification of selected important areas is better performed using photo devices (high resolution). The range of lengths selected for infrared waves for the scan purpose should provide a maximum informational content for temperatures of about 36.6&deg; Celsius. No less important an opportunity to identify the object with the mentioned temperature that is located near a hotter object, i.e. if there is still a hot engine in the non-flooded compartment, and the survivor uses this fragment as a raft.<h2>Conclusion</h2>The critical situations caused by the accidents require a considerable quantity of online data for adequate reaction. Anyway, most part of the necessary information is gathered but used rarely and untimely. In any case, the sea predators also search for the survivors just like rescuers, but for another purpose. The data on the movement of marked sharks are very seldom used to advantage.A more complete understanding of how an eye scrutinizes the image can be applied to optical equipment used by rescuers. This article examined the bionic principles of processing the information for utilizing in future search operations.<h2>References</h2>1. Fladen i Korsor, Nr. 2 Juni 2002 <a data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" href="http://www.marinehist.dk/FIKors/2002-2-FiKors.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.marinehist.dk/FIKors/2002-2-FiKors.pdf</a>2. S&oslash;v&aelig;rn&rsquo;s orientering, Nr. 2 Juni 2002 https://www.marinehist.dk/SVNORI/SVNORI-2002-02.pdf3. &quot;Navy dolphins, sea lions losing out to robots&quot; 2012 The San Diego Union-Tribune https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-navy-dolphins-sea-lions-losing-out-to-robots-2012nov30-story.html<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjRqZmD-PHyAhUDt4sKHfMKAm8QFnoECAMQAQ" href="https://ua.depositphotos.com/vector-images/s%C3%B8v%C3%A6rn.html?offset=100" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ua.depositphotos.com/vector-images/s%25C3%25B8v%25C3%25A6rn.html%3Foffset%3D100&ved=2ahUKEwjRqZmD-PHyAhUDt4sKHfMKAm8QFnoECAMQAQ" target="_blank" id="isPasted"></a>4. David H. Hubel &amp; Wiesel, T N. (1979). Brain mechanisms of vision. Scientific American, 241, 150&mdash;162.5. David H. Hubel, David C. Freeman Brain Research V. 122, I. 2, 1977, PР 336&ndash;3436. David H. Hubel,Torsten N. Wiesel, Early Exploration of the Visual Cortex., Neuron V. 20, I. 3, 1998, PP. 401&ndash;4127. Rafael C. Gonzalez Richard E. Woods Digital Image Processing, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc. Boston, MA, USA , 19928. Kevin R. Duffy, David H. Hubel, Vision Research V. 47, I. 19, 2007, PP. 2569&ndash;25749. Mary Carlson at al., Developmental Brain Research, V. 25, I. 1, 1986, PP. 71&ndash;81<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">About the University Technology Exposure Program 2022</h2>Wevolver, in partnership with <a href="https://mouser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> and <a href="https://www.ansys.com/academic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ansys</a>, is excited to announce the launch of the University Technology Exposure Program 2022. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe. Learn more about the program <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">here</a>.<img alt="university-technology-exposure-program-mouser-ansys" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU3NDU2MDg2ODE2LTE2NTc0NTYwODY4MTYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii">

US Navy's Mine-Hunting Dolphin Returning From Mission

Let's take the well-known sea-rescuer, the dolphin, for example.
Dolphin’s sensorium is more intended for the search of biological objects under water by use echolocation. At the same time, the military prefer to use dolphins to find metal objects (mines) rather than search & rescue drowning people

Fundamental Methodology Of Signals Processing During The Rescue Operations At Sea

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1640817319915000&usg=AOvVaw2nPRdRwJrXSYYeM9RCFu5x" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/816a5019-8dcc-44f6-87cf-e4a0b1f91ce6?dark=false" class="fr-draggable"></iframe>The full article will continue below.<hr><h2>The Elevator Pitch</h2>Neuralink wants to solve brain and spine related illnesses via the seamless integration of a coin-sized device with your brain. In summer 2020, the company held a live product demo hosted by CEO Elon Musk to display what they have been working on.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CLUWDLKAF1M?&amp;t=581s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 438px;"></iframe><h2>The Device</h2>Neural interfacing technology capable of reading and stimulating neuron activity is not necessarily new, but Neuralink's device known as the Link boasts certain features that make it stand out, such as 1024 channels (reportedly 100x more than current competitors), wireless inductive charging, a small form factor (allowing seamless integration with the skull), and utilization of readily available, mass-produced parts making the device as affordable as a new smartphone.&nbsp;<h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyNDgyNDE2LXRoZS1saW5rLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="">Image 1. The Link Device (CNET) The Procedure</h2>A robot will remove a portion of your skull the same size as the device and thread the electrodes to a segment of your brain where small electric charges will stimulate the neurons. &nbsp;Safety and accessibility are some of the primary objectives with this implant.&nbsp;Here is how the team plans on hitting those marks:- Anesthesia is not required- The entire surgery can be done under an hour- Patients can be released from hospital the same day as the procedure- A robot can do the entire procedure to guarantee accuracy- It will automatically inspect and insert electrodes where there are no veins or arteries- It is completely reversible; if you decide you don't want it, take it out without any damages<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyNjM5NDcwLW5ldXJhbGluay1pbnN0YWxsYXRpb24uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image 2. Link procedure process (CNET) The Motivation</h2>A key driving force behind this project is providing an inexpensive, safe, convenient, and reversible neural interfacing solution that could potentially eliminate neural illnesses while offering those suffering from spinal injuries the chance to regain their mobility. Still, that's not the most ambitious part of this project.Musk has repeatedly expressed his concern about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it could mean for the future of humanity; therefore, he sees the Link as a viable life raft where the human mind could integrate with AI. In fact, the Neuralink team already demonstrated an elementary version of this long-term goal by having a monkey control a computer using their device to play video games.<h2>The Functionality</h2>Usually at this point everyone has the same big question: does it work? Well, the proof is in the pigs.The stars of the 2020 product demo were three little pigs that helped demonstrate the safety of the Link. The first pig had never had an implant, the second had an implant at some point but it had been removed, and the third was the one currently with an implant; the major takeaway was that you will not experience any noticeable negative changes to your behavior with or without the implant (even if you've removed it).Gertrude, the third pig, was proudly showing off her implant to the audience by having the neuron impulses connected to her snout visualized while being fed. Every time her snout touched food, the audience saw a spike.More impressively, the demo contained a video of a pig on a treadmill whose joint movements were being almost perfectly predicted using the information from the implant. This could theoretically help those with spinal injuries by relaying the movement information that they are thinking to a secondary implant located at the base of the spinal cord thereby enabling movement.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyODIwMzg5LVBpZyB3YWxrLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image 3. Predicted vs. actual joint movements (CNET)&nbsp;During the Q&amp;A, Elon mentioned that it is possible to have a feature for the Link where the user will be able to upload their memories to the cloud and replay them at will.&nbsp;</div></div><h2>The When</h2>Neuralink received a breakthrough designation from the FDA in July 2020 and it looks like they are on track to start human trials by the end of 2021.&nbsp;

Neuralink is an ambitious startup backed by Elon Musk that hopes to rid the world of brain-related illnesses using a coin-sized chip

Neuralink: The Company That Wants To Put A Chip In Your Head

Luvas Extensoras Biônicas (LEB): Bionic Extension Gloves when "worn" by a person who keeps their hands closed most of the time due to neurological, motor and other problems, are able to extend their fingers by opening their hands as wide as possible, maintaining the most stable and controlled position and movements, all while mechanically using their own strength and manual movements.Because the LEB is flexible and operates only from the top, without obstructing the fingers and the palm of the hand, it allows some users to continue using their hands to perform everyday activities. We do not recommend the use of LEB gloves to play stringed instruments, such as the guitar, bass, violin, etc., due to the very complex positions of the fingers on the chords of the instrument's neck, which can also force and damage the glove.Who can these gloves assist?The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/tag/biomechanics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bionic</a> Extension Gloves may be effective for people with normal strength and the ability to open and close the hands and without deformities, however, have difficulty maintaining them open due to some neurological, motor problem, etc., which cause them to remain closed most of the time.Product description:<ul><li>Lycra fabric glove with gentle compression that stretches and expands to fit the size of the user's hands</li><li>Base structure and fingertips made of flexible plastic compounds, both designed and printed on a 3D printer</li><li>Velcro on the fingertips to adjust the size of the opening and size of each finger</li><li>Adjustable Velcro straps on the fist and palm</li><li>Adjustable (removable) Velcro strap that pulls the thumb back keeping it more open&nbsp;</li><li>Protective foams on the fingers and base structure on the back of the hand</li><li>Carbon fiber vinyl finish</li></ul>Note: LEB gloves are fully mechanical and do not have motors, batteries, micro computers, controllers, etc. They do not produce force or any type of movement replacing the normal movements of the user's hands.&nbsp;

Luvas Extensoras Biônicas (LEB): Bionic Extension Gloves when "worn" by a person who keeps their hands closed most of the time due to neurological, motor and other problems, are able to extend their fingers by opening their hands as wide as possible.

Bionic Extension Gloves enable to play piano

<a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics</a> is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings. The models created by Open Bionics are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, making sure its wearer feels comfortable wearing them - both physically and socially.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipP-z_koTZs?&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 456px;"></iframe>Bionic hands can be very expensive. Starting at about $35,000, they can go up to even $120,000. Open Bionics is developing a bionic hand that offers the same functionality at under $1,200.<h2>The 3D printed prosthetic</h2>The Open Bionics hand is suited for trans-radial amputees: people that still have an elbow joint but miss anywhere from their hand upwards. The prosthetic works through sensors that are placed on the wearer's muscles. These send out an electric signal that allows the hand to move when specific muscles are flexed. Each finger can be moved independently and with varying speed, allowing for different gripping modes and movements to be made.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664181040-Bionic_hand_sensor_placement.webp">Sensors are placed on the wearer's muscles&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664198362-Open_Bionics_hand_movement.webp">Muscle movements allow the hand to move in various ways&nbsp;<section>3D printing plays a vital part in the development of the Open Bionics hand. After 3D scanning the wearer's residual limb, a prosthetic design is made in 3D modeling software, after which both the hand and its socket are 3D printed.As all the mechanical components of the hand can be 3D printed, it becomes a cost-effective alternative to the traditional, expensive prosthetic. As it's about 30 times cheaper than other available alternatives, it helps to make robotic hands accessible to a wider audience.<h2>Rigid and flexible materials</h2>The Open Bionics hands are created using both rigid and flexible materials to support the varying functionalities of different parts of the hand. The fingers are printed in one piece with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/tpu-95a" target="_blank">flexible TPU</a> and have joints built-in that work directly after the printing has finished. Other parts, that need to be more rigid, are printed with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/pla" target="_blank">PLA</a>. Since the fingers' joints are built-in, the number of different parts that need to be manufactured is greatly reduced, which simplifies the assembly process.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664225372-3D_printing_prosthetic_hand.webp">Different materials are used for different parts of the hand&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664249526-Flexible_prosthetic_finger_joints+%281%29.webp"><figure type="ArticleImage"><figcaption>The soft fingers are printed in one piece with flexible material</figcaption></figure>3D printing not only shrinks the development costs of these bionic hands - it also allows for tailor-made designs to be implemented that perfectly match the wearer's wants and needs. Check the <a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics website</a> to stay up-to-date on the progress made in this field.As this case illustrates, 3D printing can radically change the way in which medical applications are approached. For an overview of other 3D printing applications in the medical field, check out our explore pages: <a href="https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine</a><hr>Disclaimer:&nbsp;Ultimaker 3D printers are designed and built for Fused Filament Fabrication with Ultimaker engineering thermoplastics within a commercial/business environment. The mixture of precision and speed makes the Ultimaker 3D printers the perfect machine for concept models, functional prototypes and the production of small series. Although we achieved a very high standard in the reproduction of 3D models with the usage of Ultimaker Cura, the user remains responsible to qualify and validate the application of the printed object for its intended use, especially critical for applications in strictly regulated areas like medical devices and aeronautics.</section>

Open Bionics is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings.

Open Bionics: 3D printed prosthetic limbs

Rear view of the ankle-assisting exosuits with its soft robotic elements and the cable that transfers mechanical power from actuators operated from the hip to the ankle join. (Image courtesy of the Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)

A soft wearable robotic suit promotes normal walking in stroke patients, opening new approaches to gait re-training and rehabilitation

Post-stroke patients reach terra firma with exosuit technology

rosthetic limb technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, giving amputees a range of bionic options, including artificial knees controlled by microchips, sensor-laden feet driven by artificial intelligence, and robotic hands that a user can manipulate with her mind. But such high-tech designs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, making them unattainable for many amputees, particularly in developing countries.Now MIT engineers have developed a simple, low-cost, passive prosthetic foot that they can tailor to an individual. Given a user&rsquo;s body weight and size, the researchers can tune the shape and stiffness of the prosthetic foot, such that the user&rsquo;s walk is similar to an able-bodied gait. They estimate that the foot, if manufactured on a wide scale, could cost an order of magnitude less than existing products.The custom-designed prostheses are based on a design framework developed by the researchers, which provides a quantitative way to predict a user&rsquo;s biomechanical performance, or walking behavior, based on the mechanical design of the prosthetic foot.&ldquo;[Walking] is something so core to us as humans, and for this segment of the population who have a lower-limb amputation, there&rsquo;s just no theory for us to say, &lsquo;here&rsquo;s exactly how we should design the stiffness and geometry of a foot for you, in order for you to walk as you desire,&rsquo;&rdquo; says Amos Winter, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. &ldquo;Now we can do that. And that&rsquo;s super powerful.&rdquo;Winter and former graduate student Kathryn Olesnavage report details of this framework in IEEE&rsquo;s&nbsp;Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation.&nbsp;They have published their results on their new prosthetic foot in the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, with graduate student Victor Prost and research engineer William Brett Johnson.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1568903873576-prosthetic-foot.gif" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Following the gaitIn 2012, soon after Winter joined the MIT faculty, he was approached by Jaipur Foot, a manufacturer of artificial limbs based in Jaipur, India. The organization manufactures a passive prosthetic foot, geared toward amputees in developing countries, and donates more than 28,000 models each year to users in India and elsewhere.&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been making this foot for over 40 years, and it&rsquo;s rugged, so farmers can use it barefoot outdoors, and it&rsquo;s relatively life-like, so if people go in a mosque and want to pray barefoot, they&rsquo;re likely to not be stigmatized,&rdquo; Winter says. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s quite heavy, and the internal structure is made all by hand, which creates a big variation in product quality.&rdquo;The organization asked Winter whether he could design a better, lighter foot that could be mass-produced at low cost.&ldquo;At that point, we started asking ourselves, &lsquo;how should we design this foot as engineers? How should we predict the performance, given the foot&rsquo;s stiffness and mechanical design and geometry? How should we tune all that to get a person to walk the way we want them to walk?&rsquo;&rdquo; Winter recalls.The team, led by Olesnavage, first looked for a way to quantitatively relate a prosthesis&rsquo; mechanical characteristics to a user&rsquo;s walking performance &mdash; a fundamental relationship that had never before been fully codified.While many developers of prosthetic feet have focused on replicating the movements of able-bodied feet and ankles, Winter&rsquo;s team took a different approach, based on their realization that amputees who have lost a limb below the knee can&rsquo;t feel what a prosthetic foot does.&ldquo;One of the critical insights we had was that, to a user, the foot is just kind of like a black box &mdash; it&rsquo;s not connected to their nervous system, and they&rsquo;re not interacting with the foot intimately,&rdquo; Winter says.Instead of designing a prosthetic foot to replicate the motions of an able-bodied foot, he and Olesnavage looked to design a prosthetic foot that would produce lower-leg motions similar to those of an able-bodied person&rsquo;s lower leg as they walk.&ldquo;This really opened up the design space for us,&rdquo; Winter says. &ldquo;We can potentially drastically change the foot, so long as we make the the lower leg do what we want it to do, in terms of kinematics and loading, because that&rsquo;s what a user perceives.&rdquo;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1568903954240-prosthetic-foot-2.gif" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With the lower leg in mind, the team looked for ways to relate how the mechanics of the foot relate to how the lower leg moves while the foot is in contact with the ground. To do this, the researchers consulted an existing dataset comprising measurements of steps taken by an able-bodied walker with a given body size and weight. With each step, previous researchers had recorded the ground reaction forces and the changing center of pressure experienced by a walker&rsquo;s foot as it rocked from heel to toe, along with the position and trajectory of the lower leg.Winter and his colleagues developed a mathematical model of a simple, passive prosthetic foot, which describes the stiffness, possible motion, and shape of the foot. They plugged into the model the ground reaction forces from the dataset, which they could sum up to predict how a user&rsquo;s lower leg would translate through a single step.With their model, they then tuned the stiffness and geometry of the simulated prosthetic foot to produce a lower-leg trajectory that was close to the able-bodied swing &mdash; a measure they consider to be a minimal &ldquo;lower leg trajectory error.&rdquo;&ldquo;Ideally, we would tune the stiffness and geometry of the foot perfectly so we exactly replicate the motion of the lower leg,&rdquo; Winter says. &ldquo;Overall, we saw that we can get pretty darn close to able-bodied motion and loading, with a passive structure.&rdquo;Evolving on a curveThe team then sought to identify an ideal shape for a single-part prosthetic foot that would be simple and affordable to manufacture, while still producing a leg trajectory very similar to that of able-bodied walkers.To pinpoint an ideal foot shape, the group ran a &ldquo;genetic algorithm&rdquo; &mdash; a common technique used to weed out unfavorable options, in search of the most optimal designs.&ldquo;Just like a population of animals, we made a population of feet, all with different variables to make different curve shapes,&rdquo; Winter says. &ldquo;We loaded them into simulation and calculated their lower leg trajectory error. The ones that had a high error, we killed off.&rdquo;Those that had a lower error, the researchers further mixed and matched with other shapes, to evolve the population toward an ideal shape, with the lowest possible lower leg trajectory error. The team used a wide Bezier curve to describe the shape of the foot using only a few select variables, which were easy to vary in the genetic algorithm. The resulting foot shape looked similar to the side-view of a toboggan.Olesnavage and Winter figured that, by tuning the stiffness and shape of this Bezier curve to a person&rsquo;s body weight and size, the team should be able to produce a prosthetic foot that generates leg motions similar to able-bodied walking. To test this idea, the researchers produced several feet for volunteers in India. The prostheses were made from machined nylon, a material chosen for its energy-storage capability.&nbsp;&ldquo;What&rsquo;s cool is, this behaves nothing like an able-bodied foot &mdash; there&rsquo;s no ankle or metatarsal joint &mdash; it&rsquo;s just one big structure, and all we care about is how the lower leg is moving through space,&rdquo; Winter says. &ldquo;Most of the testing was done indoors, but one guy ran outside, he liked it so much. It puts a spring in your step.&rdquo;Going forward, the team has partnered with Vibram, an Italian company that manufactures rubber outsoles &mdash; flexible hiking boots and running shoes that look like feet. The company is designing a life-like covering for the team&rsquo;s prosthesis, that will also give the foot some traction over muddy or slippery surfaces. The researchers plan to test the prosthetics and coverings on volunteers in India this spring.Winter says the simple prosthetic foot design can also be a much more affordable and durable option for populations such as soldiers who want to return to active duty or veterans who want to live an active lifestyle.&ldquo;A common passive foot in the U.S. market will cost $1,000 to $10,000, made out of carbon fiber. Imagine you go to your prosthetist, they take a few measurements, they send them back to us, and we send back to you a custom-designed nylon foot for a few hundred bucks. This model is potentially game-changing for the industry, because we can fully quantify the foot and tune it for individuals, and use cheaper materials.&rdquo;This research was funded, in part, by the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design.

The researchers working with collaborators at Jaipur Foot in Jaipur, India gaining feedback from prosthesis users.