Successful Commercialization of “Living Legs” Smart Robot Legs

A team of Korean researchers succeeded in commercializing Smart Robot’s prosthetics for the first time in South Korea.

The first robotic prosthetic leg was given to Lt. Gen. Kim Jung-won, who lost his right ankle from a landmine while attempting to rescue a fellow soldier at the Korean boarder in August of 2016.

According to the Korea Institute of Mechanical Research on Tuesday, a research team led by Woo Hyun-soo, head of the Medical Support Robot Research Center at the Daegu Convergence Technology Research Center, has made a smart robot prosthetic leg that resembles the principle of human locomotion.

The robot’s artificial limbs move in a similar way to the human ankles. It is more natural than traditional prosthetics which reduces fatigue and pain. Operational output (torque, a rotational force) can be implemented up to the same level as the world’s best products.