14 DAY TRIAL // Specialists with the Michigan Technological University in the US hope to soon introduce the world to a new type of robot legs that can literally see the road ahead and adjust their movements depending on the particularities of one terrain or another.
The scientists believe that, with the help of these high-tech prosthetic legs that they now have in the works, people missing a limb will have an easier time getting around. Specifically, they expect that their robot legs will allow folks to attain an almost natural gait.
Giving artificial limbs the sense of sight
In a report detailing their work, the Michigan Technological University researchers behind this project explain that the idea is to fit prosthetic legs with what they call an artificial vision system. In plain words, attach cameras to them.
The cameras will serve to study the terrain, cracks and all, and feed information about what the ground ahead looks like into a computer. In turn, the computer will process this data and command a system of cables designed to control the prosthetic limbs movements.
As shown in the photo below, which depicts a prototype of one such robot leg, it is essentially the ankles incorporated into such artificial limbs that will allow for greater flexibility and, consequently, a more natural gait for wearers.
“The computer analyzes the information from the camera and applies the correct angle and stiffness to the ankle, just as you would with your biological foot and ankle,” mechanical engineer and study leader Mo Rastgaar said in a statement.
Just how adaptable will these artificial limbs be?
Specialist Mo Rastgaar and fellow researchers imagine developing robot legs with ankles so good at adapting to the terrain in front of them that wearers will be able to easily go up a flight of stair or take larger steps to avoid cracks in the pavement or potholes.
Having already developed a working prototype, the scientists expect that it will not be long until their artificial limbs find their way out of the lab and are made available to the people who need them. However, they cannot say for sure when this will happen.
