ISRO developing microprocessor-controlled smart limbs

A space tech spin-off from the Indian Space Research Organisation is expected to help above-knee amputees to walk with a comfortable gait. The microprocessor-controlled knees being developed by the space agency offer ''extended capabilities for the amputee than those offered by the passive limbs that do not use microprocessors,'' the ISRO said on Friday. The 'smart' MPKs are being developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, under a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities, Pt. The control software estimates the real-time damping needed to attain the desired gait by changing the stiffness of the system which is achieved by a DC motor-operated hydraulic damper. ''Walking parameters specific to amputees can be set using PC-based software to improve one’s comfort.