Time Magazine called Hugh Herr the “Leader of the Bionic Age.” He is a pioneer in the emerging field of Biomechatronics, the fusion of human physiology and electromechanics. As a professor of media arts and sciences at the MIT Media Lab, Hugh's advancements in bionic limb development provide greater mobility and hope for those with physical disabilities. Drawn from his own experience as a double amputee, Hugh strives to create bionic limbs that more closely simulate natural human physiology and function.
A mountain climbing prodigy by age 16, Herr endeavored to scale peaks that many never dared. But at age 17, he lost both of his legs below the knee to a climbing accident. This incident didn't deter Hugh, but led him to fashion climbing prostheses that could wedge more easily into cracks and stably secure into ice than a biological foot. He has since dedicated his career to creating technologies that push the possibilities of prosthetics. As Herr says, “In realms of genetics, regenerative medicine, and synthetic biology, designers are growing novel technologies not foreseen or anticipated by nature. Bionics explores the interplay between biology and design.”
His personal story and work have been featured on National Geographic, Nova PBS, Scientific American Frontiers, The Economist, Science, Discover, the History Channel, and Nature.
Dr. Herr's research group at the MIT Media Lab invented the Agonist-Antagonist Myoneural Interface, a novel surgical procedure for limb amputation that allows persons with synthetic limbs to control their prosthesis through thought and experience more natural sensations.
A co-leader at the Yang Center for Bionics at MIT, Herr develops bionic interventions for a range of conditions affecting the body and mind. At the Yang Center, Hugh's team creates enhanced bionic products for the private sector and researches more durable and affordable materials and manufacturing processes to improve access to the latest bionic advancements for all impacted individuals, especially those in developing countries.
Among his many innovations are active Leg Exoskeletons, Powered Ankle-Foot Prostheses, neural interfacing technologies, and EmPower, an ankle-foot prosthesis that emulates the action of a biological leg. Named to the Top Ten Inventions in the Health category by TIME magazine, EmPower Ankle Foot Prosthesis is the first leg in history to be clinically shown to reach human normalization, allowing amputees to walk with normal levels of speed, gait, and metabolism as if their legs were biological once again.
Hugh has presented at several international conferences, including the World Congress of Biomechanics, the International Conference on Advanced Prosthetics, the National Assembly of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Highlands Forum (Life Sciences, Complexity, and National Security), and the TEDMED International Conference.
Herr has received many accolades for his groundbreaking innovations, including the 13th Annual Heinz Award, the Prince Salman Award for Disability Research, the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Technology, the 14th Innovator of the Year Award, the 41st Inventor of the Year Award, and the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research.
Ascent: The Story of Hugh Herr. Hugh Herr spent much of his youth scaling the most complex rock faces. But after a climbing accident that cost him both legs below the knee, he wasn't deterred. As Hugh puts it, “I wanted to get back on the horse…climbing was my life.” And only a year after the accident, Hugh was climbing as well as before.
By learning metal fabrication to fashion prostheses and enhancing his meager understanding of math to comprehend quantum mechanics, Hugh began methodically designing limbs that allowed him to return to the world of rock and ice climbing. Now, decades later, Hugh continues to design novel bionic devices that improve the conditions and quality of life of those with physical disabilities.
In this inspiring talk on turning obstacles into opportunities with resilience and determination, Hugh motivates audiences to question the notion of human limitation and push the frontiers of human potential.
Technology & the Human Spirit: Human Stories of Bionic Integration. MIT Professor Hugh Herr is accelerating the merging of body and machine. At the MIT Media Lab, Herr develops synthetic limbs and prosthetics by reverse engineering the human body: emulating musculoskeletal architecture, mimicking the principles of biological movement, and even improving upon physical features to enhance users' motion, strength, and agility.
In this tech-driven speech, Hugh takes audiences behind the scenes of his team's R&D process, showcasing their highly collaborative approach that incorporates dozens of teams across hundreds of projects, as he describes the latest in functional bionics and Biomechatronics. Herr also highlights the deeply personal impact of his work and demonstrates how each iteration continues to explore and perfect more durable materials, affordable manufacturing processes, and improve access to the most at-risk individuals with physical disabilities.
Keywords: technology, biotechnology, collaboration, robotics, bionics, prosthetics, wearable technology, neural interfacing