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Unprecedented flexibility leading to a natural gait and increased comfort on all terrains, combined with entirely new capabilities for lower limb amputees. The Lunaris prosthetic foot makes a grand entrance into the orthopedic market, supported by Innoviris and the European Commission.
Brussels, Belgium, January 2023 - Today, prosthetic feet available on the market still fall short of mimicking human behavior and meeting the real needs of amputees. Based on over 15 years of research and development in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human biomechanics, the Belgian company Axiles Bionics has successfully developed a device capable of replicating the flexibility of a human ankle: the Lunaris prosthetic.
To come as close as possible to what nature has designed, the Lunaris ankle-foot prosthesis has, just like in the human body, an elastic tendon [aka the Achilles tendon] connected to an anatomical ankle joint that stores and releases energy during walking. Following several clinical trials conducted in collaboration with MFYS from BruBotics (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), potential beneficial effects have already been highlighted, offering promising prospects for improving users' quality of life.
"I feel like I've found my left foot again," says David Beeckman, one of the first testers of the prosthesis. "Slopes, descents, stairs, rough terrains... I can walk naturally without worrying about where I'm stepping. It's a real step forward, both literally and figuratively."
In addition to bringing advanced robotics to life, Axiles Bionics pushes the boundaries of artificial intelligence in artificial limbs to offer the best possible services to its users.
"The prosthesis will come with its own charger," says Dr. Felipe Gomez, CTO of Axiles Bionics. "Thanks to this intelligent 'IO Charger,' Lunaris engineering will be optimized over time while continuously ensuring the safety of individuals through data collected via the prosthesis sensors. In the long run, an application will allow users to track this information."
Supported by Innoviris since its inception, the company has recently been awarded a 2.5 million euros grant from the European Commission through the EIC Accelerator for the development of future bionic devices.
"We are very proud to have been selected as one of the 78 game-changing startups in Europe according to the European Commission," says Dr. Eng. Pierre Cherelle, CEO of Axiles Bionics. "With over 1,000 applications, this is another great recognition of all the work done in recent years and a big boost for the future!"
The "Lunaris" prosthesis is available for order today in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
About AXILES BIONICS
Founded in January 2019, Axiles Bionics is a spin-off of BruBotics (VUB) with a mission to enhance the quality of life for individuals through intelligent assistive robotics. The company aspires to establish a center of excellence in bionic technologies in Brussels.
www.axilesbionics.com - info@axilesbionics.com
About BRUBOTICS
The Brussels Human Robotics Research Center, BruBotics, is a collaborative initiative involving 8 research groups at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), dedicated to improving the quality of life through human robotics. With over 100 researchers specializing in robotics, AI, rehabilitation, physiology, sociology, aging, marketing, and e-health, BruBotics stands as a leader in European human robotics research.
www.vub.ac.be / www.brubotics.eu
About INNOVIRIS
As the Brussels Institute for Research and Innovation, Innoviris supports businesses, research institutes, non-profit organizations, and citizens in Brussels by funding innovative projects.
www.innoviris.brussels
About EIC (European Innovation Council)
The EIC is Europe's flagship innovation program, aiming to identify, develop, and scale up cutting-edge technologies and game-changing innovations.
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