The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have announced the development of the world's first robotic ankle, which will initially be used on war veterans.

The new ankle-foot prosthetic is the first in a new family of artificial limbs. The device will propel the amputee forward, similar to natural motion, by using multiple springs that work like tendons powered by a small electric motor. Conventional walking devices use a passive spring response that produces an unnatural gait and causes the amputee to use significantly more energy to walk than a non-amputee. The new ankle-foot prosthetic is also light and flexible.

Jim Nicholson is the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In that agency's press release he said: "Veterans are entitled to the best this nation has to offer, and at VA, we're constantly redefining the meaning of best. This new ankle-foot prosthetic is another example of VA's medical innovations for veterans that will benefit all Americans."

The research for the device was funded by VA. MIT Media Lab Professor Hugh Herr and a team of researchers created the ankle-foot prosthetic device through the Center for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine (CRRM), a partnership between the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island, Brown University and MIT.

Herr is also a double amputee who had the opportunity to test his invention. In the MIT release, he said: "This design releases three times the power of a conventional prosthesis to propel you forward and, for the first time, provides amputees with a truly human-like gait. It's wild, like you're on one of those moving walkways in the airport."

Dr. Joel Kupersmith is the chief research and development officer for VA. He is quoted in MIT's release: "The robotic ankle is a sterling example of how our leading-edge research improves veterans' lives. Up to now, prosthetic devices have not been able to duplicate the complex functions of our feet and ankles as we walk and run. The ingenious computerized design of this new prosthesis changes all of this, as it constantly 'thinks' and responds, allowing the person to walk or run in a more natural and comfortable way."

Dr. Michael E. Selzer is the director of Rehabilitation Research and Development for VA. He echoed Kupersmith's comments: "Hugh Herr and his Media Lab group are well-known for their scientific ingenuity and creativity on behalf of amputees. This new technology represents rehabilitation research at its finest, and is yet another milestone in VA's long history of outstanding achievements in this area."

In addition to funding the research that developed the ankle-foot prosthetic, VA has given an additional $6.9 million to construct a state-of-the-art rehabilitation research building on the campus of the Providence VA Medical Center. MIT's release says construction will begin in the fall of 2007.

According to its release, the VA anticipates spending more than $1.2 billion in 2007 on prosthetics and sensory aids, including hearing aids and glasses, for veterans.

Sources:
Press release,VA Researchers Develop New Prosthetic Ankle; http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1361

News release, Joint effort: Robotic ankle research gets off on the right foot; http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/robot-ankle-0723.html