Leading the Bionic Age
From: R&D Magazine - 12/17/2014

Turning injury to success, Professor Hugh Herr is at the forefront of the
bionic age

The bionic age is no longer the workings of a far-fetched sci-fi movie; it’s
here, now. We have experienced the first bionic eye and limbs. These
technologies merge human capabilities with machines. They transform how we
live, and who we are. They are improving quality of life. And there’s perhaps
no greater example than R&D Magazine’s Innovator of the Year Dr. Hugh Herr,
associate professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and
director of the Biomechatronics Lab at MIT Media Lab.

Herr has given two TED Talks, the most recent of which was the first
demonstration of a running gait under neural command, showing off a pair of
his bionic prostheses controlled volitionally through direct neural signals.
In this case, the prostheses have the ability to interact with both the body
and the surrounding environment in the most natural way possible for amputee
victims. And he has also provided support to those with lower extremity
amputations, including victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

In 2011, TIME magazine named Herr the leader of the bionic age. And as a
leader, his work never stops. His goal: to work until human and machine can
be bridged into the best working prosthetics available. He is well on his way
to this goal, turning his injury into success.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.rdmag.com/articles/2014/12/leading-bionic-age
http://digital.rdmag.com/researchanddevelopment/november_december_2014#pg10
http://www.ecnmag.com/blogs/2014/12/leading-bionic-age

TED Talk: The new bionics that let us run, climb and dance - Hugh Herr (19:00)
http://www.ted.com/talks/hugh_herr_the_new_bionics_that_let_us_run_climb_and_dance