Accelerating Innovation in 2021
January 17, 2021
Where we’ve been, where we’re going. Here’s a quick look at last year’s wins and some of the most exciting things Humotech is unleashing this year.
Happy New Year to all of our readers.
2020 was a whirlwind of a year. Despite the obvious setbacks, we’ve kept our heads down (and masks on) and kept moving, launching new products, new research, and new partnerships. The year also brought a lot of successful ‘firsts,’ including our very first international customer and first virtual installation (Queen’s University in Canada), plus the debut of this blog.
Now, we’re bringing all of that hard work to the fore in 2021 with a lot of exciting new developments. Here’s a sneak peek at just a few of them:
On the Prosthetics Front
Improving the lives of patients with lower limb amputation (LLA) is the driving force behind our prosthetics R&D. That has brought us together with researchers and clinicians at top medical and research institutions in the U.S. (check out some of our past studies), including the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
This year brings new collaboration through a study led by Dr. David Morgenroth involving the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (funded by CDMRP OPORP). We’re exploring the relationship of prosthetic foot mechanical properties and balance and stability issues that are common among people with LLA. To do that, we’re developing a new prosthetic foot, “PRO-003,” which we’ll integrate with the existing Caplex platform to realize a 2 degree-of-freedom prosthetic foot emulator with independent control of plantarflexion/dorsiflexion and inversion/eversion. Click the video below to see what a 2-degree-of-freedom emulator looks like in action.
Caplex—In a Backpack?
That’s right, get ready for the Caplex Backpack System! Last year, we made headway on new technology that turns the Caplex system into a fully mobile operation via a wearable backpack. With an untethered, battery-powered controller and actuator, users are able to strap on the backpack with an exoskeleton end-effector and take Caplex off of the treadmill. Check out the video below for a glimpse of the prototype with the EXO-005 ankle exoskeleton.
We’re beyond excited about this—it offers many new opportunities and capabilities for both test-driving wearable assistive devices and scientific research. Our first version of the Caplex Backpack System plus ankle exoskeleton emulator went to Dr. Chris Atkeson at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, known for his research in humanoid robots, soft robots, and machine learning.
This year, we plan to deliver a custom version of the backpack with an ankle exoskeleton to an industry leader in athletic wear. Stay tuned, we’ll be announcing more about this technology in the months ahead!