A newly developed low-cost prosthetic foot, developed by engineers at MIT, aims to let wearers walk with a fluid motion while being affordable and accessible to everyone. According to engineers at MIT, the new prosthesis is constructed of nylon and can be mass manufactured while still being easily adjustable to suit a specific user's size and weight.
While the low-cost prosthetic foot was designed with amputees in low and lower-middle-income communities in mind, the MIT engineers behind the project believe their creation has the potential to serve a much larger market.
The design of the low-cost prosthetic foot may seem quit minimalist but it manages to be incredibly accurate to the motions of a biological foot. Unlike other prostheses, which replicates mechanics of the foot, this new prosthetic was focused on approximating the overall movement of the lower leg.
Affordable Prosthetic Appendages
A New Low-Cost Prosthetic Foot Better Mimics a Biological Foot
Trend Themes
1. Low-cost Prosthetic Foot - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative manufacturing methods to create low-cost prosthetic feet that are easily adjustable and accessible to a wider market.
2. Motion-mimicking Prostheses - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Research and develop prosthetic limbs that accurately replicate the natural motion of biological limbs, providing more fluid and natural movement for users.
3. Affordable Prosthetic Solutions - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new materials and technologies to create affordable prosthetic solutions that can be made available to communities with limited resources.
Industry Implications
1. Medical Devices - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced and affordable medical devices that improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
2. Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes to produce low-cost prosthetic devices for a wider market.
3. Biotechnology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Apply biotechnology advancements to improve the design and functionality of prosthetic limbs, making them more realistic and motion-mimicking.