The Bionic Leg of Tomorrow

Much like the prosthetic arm, leg prostheses have been prevalent for many a century thus far. Leg prostheses have been an option for people who have undergone amputations or have been born without a leg to facilitate normate leg movement. Also much like the electronic arm prosthetic, electronic leg prostheses typically utilize motors to control the movement of the prosthetic knee joint through the use of relayed signals coming from the body. The brain sends action potentials (electrical signals) that make their way to muscles in the thighs, causing them to contract, and thereby allowing the electronic leg prostheses to sense the movement of thigh muscles with the aid of electrical sensors. The sensors in the knees and lower legs of the prosthesis formulate an accurate projection of the movement of the leg and where to position the foot to meet the ground, adjusting to the person’s current activity without causing imbalance (How Do Prosthetic Legs Work?)