Jun 04 2014
Hugh Herr
Athlete, Scientist, Innovator and Futurist at MIT Media Lab
Hugh Herr is the Director of the Biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab where he focuses on developing wearable robotic systems that serve to augment human strength, endurance and agility. He has advanced novel bionic technologies, including a computer-controlled artificial knee, an active ankle-foot orthosis, and the world’s first powered ankle-foot prosthesis which was named in the TIME top-ten list in 2007. Also in 2007, Hugh was presented with the 13th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment.
“ Hugh is a somewhat unlikely pioneer”
By 17, Hugh was considered a rock climbing prodigy. In 1982, while attempting to summit Mount Washington, Hugh and a fellow climber were caught in a blizzard and stranded on the mountain for three nights in -20F degree temperatures. They suffered severe frostbite. Both of Hugh’s legs were amputated below the knees. Using prostheses that he designed, Hugh climbed at a more advanced level than he had before the accident, making him the first person in history with a major amputation to compete at an elite level against persons with normal physiologies. The computer-controlled knee he designed was named to the list of Top Ten Inventions in the health category also by TIME magazine in 2004. [/expand]
In his presentations, Hugh shares his dreams of a world in which disability is largely eliminated because of technology and people are able to achieve more with the aid of adaptable, technological helpers. His work is to make physical disabilities a thing of the past. [/expand]
Hugh is a soft-spoken speaker whose understated way of explaining the mechanics of prosthetic science impresses audiences around the world. He seems almost unfazed by the magnitude of the research he presents and what it means for people with physical challenges who’ve had few choices when it comes to regaining their mobility. [/expand]
Watch a video presentation of Hugh Herr
Topics
Technology & the Human Spirit: Merging Body & Machine
The Limits of Human Performance
The Story of Hugh Herr
Motivation and Inspiration
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