iWalk PowerFoot BiOM. From paralyzed patients to amputees, modern technology has really done so much to help improve the way of life for people all over the world. The iWalk PowerFoot BiOM is the latest innovation that brings even amputees to a brighter future.
So who says that someone who lost a leg can’t play soccer with his kids anymore? No matter how old you are or what you’ve been through in life, there’s just no stopping you from having a new life with iWalk's PowerFoot BiOM.
The History
In 2003, the harrowing experience in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan saw more Americans coming home with just a foot left with them. But they were never left behind. A project funded by the US government, catered to the vision of Dr. Hugh Herr, Director of Biomechatronics at MIT in his quest for the Powered Human Augmentation project. What came out if this was the BiOM by iWalk, a leg system that acted just like a real leg, complete with ankle and calf regions of the human body. Indeed, the iWalk BiOM is an exact copy of the way a human leg is functioning, thus restoring normalization to nearly 100%.
With funds coming from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), Dr. Herr and his team spent months and years in researching, studying and testing the right human-machine interaction. The product? The BiOM by iWalk is a clinically proven human prosthetic system that enables individuals to live normal lives. This product allows amputees to walk as if their legs were biological once again.
iWalk’s BiOM is the first of the many robot products that flood the market today, looking like or even augmenting physiological functions with the help of electromechanical replacement. After further testing, the iWalk is now ready for mass market commercialization.
Features
The following are the important features of BiOM by iWalk:
• iWalk’s BiOM is the world’s first bionic lower leg system that takes advantage of a robotics system to act like muscles and tendons, thus replacing the action of a lost foot, Achilles tendon and calf muscle.
• The BiOM generates power during plantar flexion. This is possible when an individual walks, which increases the approximate 90 degree position of the angle between the front part of the foot and the shin. This could be likened to depressing a vehicle pedal, thus boosting the prosthesis forward.
• Utilizing a series of sensors, it is easy for the BiOM to adapt to different terrains. This is possible through the adjustment of ankle stiffness and power delivery, guaranteeing a consistent, efficient gait.