New bionics let us run, climb and dance | Hugh Herr | TED

Summary

This inspiring talk explores the profound impact of bionics, focusing on how technology can eliminate physical disabilities and enhance human potential. The speaker, who lost both legs in a climbing accident, demonstrates how bionic limbs restore and even surpass natural abilities. Through innovations at MIT, bionic interfaces replicate biological functions, and new developments in exoskeletons and neural communication are transforming lives. The talk highlights personal stories, including a dancer who regained her ability to perform after losing a leg in the Boston bombing, symbolizing the limitless potential of bionics in redefining human capabilities.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Nature inspires design, with designers extracting principles and processes from biology to enhance design methodologies.
• 🤖 Bionics explores the interplay between biology and design, with technology enhancing human capabilities.
• 🚶‍♂️ The speaker's legs are bionic, developed after a mountain-climbing accident led to the amputation of both legs.
• 🦾 Bionics is advancing to eliminate disability by creating technology that mimics and enhances human movement and capabilities.
• 💡 The future of design includes data-driven, quantitative frameworks to create comfortable, customized prosthetics and clothing.
• 🦿 The speaker's bionic limbs include mechanical, dynamic, and electrical interfaces, allowing for seamless integration with the body.
• ⚙️ MIT is developing bionic ankles, knees, and hips that mimic normal muscle function and enhance athletic abilities.
• 📡 Electrical interfaces between bionic limbs and the nervous system allow for neural control of movement.
• 👟 Exoskeletons and smart materials are being developed to protect joints and reduce physical strain during everyday activities.
• 💃 Bionics can also enhance human expression, such as enabling a dancer who lost a leg to return to the dance floor.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the speaker's presentation?

The speaker focuses on bionics and how it is bridging the gap between disability and human potential through the integration of electromechanics and the human body. He shares personal stories and advancements in technology that enhance physical capabilities.

How did the speaker's personal experience with amputation influence his views on technology and disability?

After losing both legs to frostbite in a mountain-climbing accident, the speaker believed that humans are never 'broken' and that technology, not the body, is inadequate. This realization inspired him to develop advanced prosthetics, aiming to eliminate disability through technological innovation.

What are the three primary interfaces involved in the speaker's bionic limbs?

The three primary interfaces are mechanical (how the limbs are attached to the body), dynamic (how they move like natural limbs), and electrical (how they communicate with the nervous system).

How do the speaker's bionic limbs dynamically mimic natural limb movements?

The bionic limbs use computer-controlled systems to adjust stiffness and output high torques and powers, mimicking muscle function during walking. This allows the limbs to lift the body into a walking stride and perform tasks like climbing stairs, which traditional prosthetics cannot emulate.

What is the significance of the speaker's height-adjustable bionic limbs?

The height-adjustable limbs allowed the speaker to customize his height based on his mood and needs, demonstrating how technology can extend human capabilities beyond biological limits. It also reflects the adaptability of bionic limbs.

How is the speaker working to improve the mechanical interface of prosthetics?

The speaker is developing synthetic skins with varying stiffness to match the biomechanics of the body. This ensures a comfortable attachment of the prosthetic limbs, reducing issues like blisters caused by traditional methods.

What is the role of sensory feedback in bionic limbs, according to the speaker?

The speaker aims to close the loop between bionic limbs and the nervous system by growing nerves through micro-channel arrays. This would allow the user to not only control the limb but also receive sensory feedback, making the limbs feel like natural flesh and bone.

How has bionic technology enabled individuals to perform extraordinary athletic feats?

Bionic limbs, like those developed by the speaker, provide propulsion and mimic natural muscle functions, enabling individuals to perform tasks like running on rocky paths or climbing stairs. These devices offer capabilities that go beyond those of traditional prosthetics.

What future developments in bionics does the speaker envision?

The speaker envisions a future where everyone can wear exoskeletons for enhanced physical performance, such as running or walking with reduced strain. He also predicts advancements in neural interfaces, which will allow synthetic limbs to feel like real ones.

How did the speaker's team help Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer who lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing, return to dance?

The speaker's team used data from dancers with biological limbs to develop a bionic leg that mimics dance movements. After 200 days of research, they successfully created a limb that allowed Adrianne to return to the dance floor, demonstrating how bionics can restore not just function but also artistic expression.