Enhancement Prosthetics

Sense of Touch Added to Prosthetic Hand

A new prosthetic hand offers amputees the ability to “feel” grasping and manipulating objects—and it’s already being used at home, outside the laboratory setting, for several months. 

Kayt Sukel
March 04, 2019
Restoring Sight to Blind Rats

An organic retinal prosthesis that uses flexible conductive polymers rather than hard silicon electronics successfully restored sight to blind rats, lasted six to 10 months, and functioned without external power sources or wireless receivers. 

Kayt Sukel
April 16, 2018
Access Premium Content for Free

Gain access to free tools and resources from AABME, an initiative designed to stimulate biomedical innovation by bringing together and providing resources to the biomedical engineering community.

Video: Interfacing Humans and Machines

Prosthetics are moving beyond simple mechanical functions and are becoming part of the human body itself.

March 19, 2018
Video: Electromyographically Actuated Bionic Limbs

Albert Manero, President of Limbitless Solutions, describes the groundbreaking work he and his team are doing in the fields of prosthetics and bionics, work that includes a brush with fame in the form of a certain Marvel superhero.

February 20, 2018
A More Natural Approach to Passive Ankle Prostheses

A research lab has found an innovative way to close the gap between low-tech passive ankle prostheses and high-tech robotics.

Cassie Kelly
January 29, 2018
Longer Development for Brain-Controlled Prosthesis

An Iceland-based company is now developing the second generation of a system that allows amputees to control foot prosthetics naturally, with subconscious commands.

John Kosowatz
October 09, 2017
Video: Innovations in Knee and Hip Replacements

Patricia Franklin, Professor of Clinical Research with the University of Massachusetts, talks about recent developments in the area of joint care.

September 18, 2017
Titanium 3D Printing With Class

Duke University’s new titanium 3D printer is testing undergraduates’ mettle in one of the hottest areas of bioengineering.

Michael MacRae
August 07, 2017
Exploring the Mysteries of Motion

We discuss two university labs that seek inspiration in nature to design robots that can walk and jump and robotic limbs that help restore normal motion for amputees.

Mark Crawford
May 30, 2017
A Step Closer to Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

A brain-machine interface composed of a series of computer chips and electrodes enables the human brain to operate a robotic arm by thought alone.

Kayt Sukel
April 25, 2017
Data Helps the Elderly Age Comfortably

By combining algorithms with sensors, engineers have created digital healthcare platforms to help the elderly age comfortably at home.

Jeff O'Heir
April 10, 2017
Big Step Forward in Powered Ankle Prostheses

A new model from the U.K. will allow amputees to pick up their foot and walk up slopes.

Cassie Kelly
April 10, 2017
Printed Prostheses: Not Yet Ready for Developing Countries

The 3D printing process can take days, the hands suffer performance issues, and trained prosthetists are hard to find in low-income areas.

Brienna Phillips,...
March 01, 2017