Lower limb prostheses have traditionally been energetically passive devices, capable primarily of resisting motion. Muscle in the healthy lower limb, however, can both generate as well as resist motion. Over the past roughly 15 years, researchers have been investigating methods, and the prospective value of, introducing power into lower limb prostheses, so that they are better able to replicate the functionality of the healthy limb.
Lower limb prostheses capable of generating (in addition to resisting) movement are generally called powered prostheses. This talk will very briefly review approximately 15 years of my group’s research focused on powered prostheses; will summarize the lessons learned in working with powered prostheses; and will describe how we have incorporated these lessons learned into revised approaches to powered prostheses in our current research.
Dr. Michael Goldfarb has authored approximately 250 publications and been awarded over 40 U.S. patents on topics related to wearable robotics. He was recognized in 2021 by Stanford University as among the Top 2% of most cited scientists. Among his papers are ones awarded best-paper awards in 1997, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2020, and 2022 and others that were finalists for best paper awards in 2015, 2017, and 2020.
Research interests include the development of robotic limbs for upper and lower extremity amputees and the development of exoskeletons for individuals with spinal cord injury and stroke, including the development of a lower limb exoskeleton now sold as the Indego exoskeleton. Dr. Goldfarb was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Inventors in 2020.