A man who lost the lower part of his leg in a motorcycle accident has been fitted with the first thought-controlled bionic leg.
Zac Vawter has been testing the device which uses neurosignals from his upper leg muscles to control the prosthetic knee and ankle.
The robotic leg senses the unconscious muscle movements and translates them into movements for the knee and ankle of the device.
Mr. Vawter, who lost his leg four years ago, said the artificial limb “is a big improvement compared to my regular prosthetic leg” because it “responds quickly and more appropriately, allowing me to interact with my environment in a way that is similar to how I moved before my amputation”.
Seattle-based Mr Vawter is the subject of a case report by Levi Hargrove and his Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine.