Kids & Family
'Robotic' Ankle Changes Joliet Amputee's Life
Randy Earl's $40,000 prosthetic replicates his natural walking gait through the use of micro-processors, gyroscopes and other technology. He is the first in the state to use the device.
A Joliet man is the first in Illinois to be fitted with a robotic ankle the replicates natural walking.
The BiOM device, produced by iWalk Inc., is a combination of software, micro-processors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and torque angle sensors that to copy the motions of muscles and tendons used by the ankle, according to a story by WMAQ-TV (Channel 5).
"It changes my gait entirely. Walking is natural now, and I'd not realized how much difference it was," said Randy Earl, a former ComEd lineman who lost portions of right arm and leg in a work accident. "This foot just emulates natural walking better than anything I've ever been on."
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While the $40,000 prosthetic isn't covered by most insurance companies, Earl's workman's compensation insurance did, the story said.
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