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U.S. 'Bionics Leader' Awarded Spain's Top Science Prize

Hugh Herr, an MIT professor who has devoted his life to creating bionic limbs since he had both his legs amputated after a climbing accident, was awarded Spain's top science prize Wednesday.

Dubbed the "Leader of the Bionic Age" by Time magazine, the 51-year-old was given the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research for his work in marrying human physiology with electromechanics to create "the world's most sophisticated artificial limbs."

"Herr has opened new paths of investigation, giving rise to... a type of 'intelligent' prosthesis that have accelerated the fusion of the body and the machine," the prize organizers said in a statement.

"His achievements have had a significant impact on people with physical disabilities."

An experienced climber, Herr was only 17 when he got stuck on a mountain in a violent blizzard.

Suffering from severe frostbite, doctors had no other option but to amputate both his lower legs.

The artificial limbs available at the time were not hugely advanced, so he set about designing his own.

"At the time I didn't view my body as broken, I reasoned that a human being can never be broken, technology is broken, technology is inadequate," he said in a 2014 TED Talk.

Before long, he was back in the mountains -- pictures at the time showing him climbing tall, sheer cliffs with artificial limbs that provided him with great mobility.

"I was actually able to climb at a more advanced level with artificial limbs than I'd achieved before my accident," he said in a video on Time's website.

"This was very motivating for me and it set me on a life-long mission to advance technology not only for myself but for many people."

He got a Bachelors' degree in physics at the Millersville University of Pennsylvania, a Masters in mechanical engineering from MIT and a PhD in biophysics from Harvard.

Herr is now head of the biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab -- which specializes in disruptive technologies -- and has also founded a company called BionX.

Among other things, he has created a robotic ankle-foot prosthesis that mimics the action of a biological ankle, and the world's first bionic foot and calf system.

In a statement, Herr said he was "deeply moved" by the prize.

"It is my hope that this recognition will shed light on the global mission to end human disability in the 21st century through continued advancements in bionics," he said.

Source: Agence France Presse


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