Hugh herr wikipedia
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Hugh Herr
American rock climber and bioengineer
Hugh Herr (born October 25, 1964) is an American rock climber, engineer, and biophysicist. When he was young, both of his legs were amputated below the knee during a blizzard in a rock climbing trip.[1] After months of surgeries and rehabilitation, Herr began climbing again, using specialized prostheses he designed for himself, becoming the first person with a major amputation to perform in a sport on par with elite-level, able-bodied persons.[2][3][dubious – discuss] He holds the patents to the Rheo Knee,[4] an active ankle-foot orthosis, which is the world's first powered ankle-foot prosthesis.[5]
Early life
The youngest of five siblings of a Mennonite family from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hugh Herr was a prodigy rock climber: by age 8, he had scaled the face of the 11,627-foot (3,544 m) Mount Temple in the Canadian Rockies, and by 17 he was acknowledged to be one of the best climbers in the United States.[1]
In January 1982, afte
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Hugh Herr
Hugh Herr is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs. Time Magazine coined Dr. Herr the "Leader of the Bionic Age" because of his revolutionary work in the emerging field of Biomechatronics - technology that marries human physiology with electromechanics. A double amputee himself, he is responsible for breakthrough advances in bionic limbs that provide greater mobility and new hope to those with physical disabilities. He is currently Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, and co-leads the Yang Center for Bionics at MIT.
Herr is the author and co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and patents, chronicling the science and technology behind his many innovations. These innovations include active Leg Exoskeletons, Powered Ankle-Foot Prostheses, and neural interfacing technologies. A powered ankle-foot prosthesis called EmPower, which emulates the action of a biological leg and, for the first time, provides amputees with a natural gait, was named to the list of Top Ten Inventions in the healt
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Hugh Herr
Dr. Hugh Herr received the 13th Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment for his pioneering work in new prosthetics that merge body and machine.
An MIT professor, researcher and inventor, Dr. Herr is pioneering revolutionary work in the emerging field of biomechatronics – technology that marries robotics and human biomechanics. A double amputee himself, he is responsible for breakthrough advances in prosthetics and orthotics, giving greater mobility and new hope to those with physical disabilities.
There was a time that prostheses were hampering devices, causing jerky movements and unnecessary exertion for their users. Each unit had to be oriented to the individual, by a professional, and based on stride length, weight, flexion and other measurements. Even after all of this, the resultant stride was rigidly the same, whether the wearer was walking, running or climbing rocks.
And that brings us to Dr. Herr, who at age 17 became one of those statistics. He lost both of his legs below the knees following a rock climbing accident on Mount Washington
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