Prosthetics
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Vanderbilt engineers tripped people 190 times, but it was for a good cause
Andrés Martínez strode briskly on the treadmill, staring straight ahead and counting backwards by seven from 898, a trick to keep his brain from anticipating the literal stumbling block heading his way: a compact 35 pounds of steel specifically designed to make him fall. Special goggles kept him from looking down. Arrows on an eye-level... Read MoreJun 19, 2019
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Vanderbilt engineers tripped people 190 times, but it was for a good cause
The automatic stumble response, so natural for most people, is virtually impossible for those who use prosthetic legs, simply because even state-of-the-art prosthetics cannot adapt to stumbling. Read MoreJun 19, 2019
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From Mars habitat to little boy’s prosthetic hand, Design Day 2019 fascinates
Inspiration and innovation abounded as more than 70 teams of engineering seniors presented their final projects Monday. The annual Senior Design Day attracted hundreds of visitors from Vanderbilt and the Nashville community to the Student Life Center. Read MoreApr 24, 2019
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NSF I-Corps program gives boost to commercializing prosthetic ankle
The seven-week program can be arduous, but teams save much time later by avoiding missteps thanks to their extensive research and the mentoring they receive. Read MoreJul 6, 2018
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‘Smart’ prosthetic ankle takes fear out of rough terrain, stairs
The device is from the lab of Professor Michael Goldfarb, perhaps best known for working on a bionic leg with shark attack victim Craig Hutto and later developing the Indego exoskeleton. Read MoreJun 25, 2018
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Smart underwear prevents back stress with just a tap
"Performance-boosting super suit" hidden under clothing can be activated by a double tap to save users' backs. Read MoreAug 1, 2017
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FDA approves Vanderbilt-designed Indego exoskeleton for clinical and personal use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given clearance to market and sell the powered lower-limb exoskeleton created by a team of Vanderbilt engineers and commercialized by the Parker Hannifin Corporation for both clinical and personal use in the United States. Read MoreMar 10, 2016
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Zelik, team discover hip, foot muscles more important to walking than previously thought
In his effort to develop better prosthetic limbs, Karl Zelik had to start with deciphering more clearly how muscles function in walking. His path not only led to a better way of quantifying human locomotion, but also to the discovery that muscles around the hip and in the foot are more important to walking than previously thought. Read MoreJul 13, 2015
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Better, faster, stronger: Tennis great researching prosthetics that push the limits
College tennis champ Eric Honert is focusing on a new challenge as a graduate student in mechanical engineering: building a better prosthetic toe. Read MoreFeb 4, 2015
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Two Vanderbilt projects featured in new NIBIB “Bionic Man” web tool
The prosthetics research of Michael Goldfarb is featured in "The NBIB Bionic Man," an interactive web tool that helps students and the public learn about innovative federally-funded biomedical research. Read MoreMay 6, 2014
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Goldfarb to demonstrate bionic prosthetics at March 25 Chancellor’s Lecture
Michael Goldfarb, named by "Popular Mechanics" as one of the “10 Innovators Who Changed the World in 2013,” will deliver the March 25 Chancellor’s Lecture at Vanderbilt University. Read MoreFeb 28, 2014
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Robotic advances promise artificial legs that emulate healthy limbs
Recent advances in robotics technology make it possible to create prosthetics that can duplicate the natural movement of human legs which promises to dramatically improve the mobility of lower-limb amputees. Read MoreNov 7, 2013
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Vanderbilt Medicine: Robotics revolution
In the foreseeable future, robots will be sticking steerable needles in your brain to remove blood clots; capsule robots will be crawling up your colon as a painless replacement for the colonoscopy; and ultra-miniaturized snake robots will remove tumors from your bladder and other body cavities. Read MoreSep 11, 2013
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Prosthetic limb advances could help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings
Within the next one to three years, "bionic" prosthetic devices will become available for the people whose limbs were amputated in the Boston Marathon bombing that are substantially smarter, more capable, more active and more interactive than those currently on the market. Read MoreApr 19, 2013
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Amputee sets stair climbing record with Vanderbilt prosthetic leg
An amputee using a prosthetic leg designed at Vanderbilt made history by climbing 103 flights of stairs to the top of a Chicago skyscraper. Read MoreNov 8, 2012
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Advanced exoskeleton promises more independence for people with paraplegia
A team of Vanderbilt engineers has developed a powered exoskeleton that enables people with severe spinal cord injuries to stand, walk, sit and climb stairs. Its light weight, compact size and modular design promise to provide users with an unprecedented degree of independence. Read MoreOct 30, 2012
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Mechanical engineering team wins Wyss-IEEE award for robotic leg prosthesis
Two mechanical engineering graduate students and their professor have received the Wyss Institute-IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Award for Translational Research for their work on a robotic leg prosthesis, selected from submissions by biomedical engineers and scientists from academic institutions worldwide. Read MoreSep 20, 2012
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Subscribe to ‘VUToday’ and find out who’s in the news
(iStock Photo) VUToday is a daily report of Vanderbilt’s presence in the local and national news media, plus the latest press releases, athletics, research and higher education news. VUToday is a must-read for subscribers, who include faculty, administration, staff, alumni, community members, students and even parents… Read MoreMay 4, 2012
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National Science Foundation: Bionic leg makes amputee faster on his feet
Two years after losing his leg in a shark attack, Craig Hutto became the test pilot for a unique and powerful new prosthetic leg being developed by mechanical engineer Michael Goldfarb and his team at Vanderbilt University. Read MoreJan 24, 2012
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Nashville innovations
Last week when the Nashville Scene’s annual Innovations Issue hit the newsstands, three of its ten “forward-thinking ideas that are pushing Nashville – and the world – into the future” came from Vanderbilt. The three campus projects that impressed the Scene editors were: Digging for Drugs:… Read MoreAug 23, 2011