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Science fiction is filled with high-tech prosthetics, but according to Tommaso Lenzi, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, real prosthetic legs for lower-limb amputees have been stuck in the 1990s. Enter a new bionic leg created by Lenzi and his team, capable of movement that’s much closer to that of a natural leg and knee, making it easier to move around, including on stairs. The leg still needs more testing and FDA approval, but the team has partnered with prosthetics leader Ottobock to help bring it to the public. Testers have been excited to walk up steps for the first time in years, says Lenzi. “Hopefully, we can have more people walking, and get them out of a wheelchair,” he says.
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