New MIT institute to launch mobile clinic for 3D-printed prosthetics in Africa

Oct 06, 2021

Photo courtesy of David Moinina Sengeh, MIT 2012

The news

A new MIT research center is looking at merging the human body with advanced technologies such as robotic exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces. The K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics is funded by a $24 million donation from philanthropist Lisa Yang to MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research.

The center is led by MIT Media Lab Professor Hugh Herr, who has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the field of robotic prosthetics and Ed Boyden, a professor of biological engineering, and of brain and cognitive sciences.

According to the announcement, the faculty will prioritize three bionic technologies during the first four years:

the development of a digital nervous system to address movement disorders caused by spinal cord injury,
the exploration of brain-controlled limb exoskeletons to support weak muscles and enable natural movement for people affected by stroke or musculoskeletal disorders, and
the reconstruction of bionic limbs to restore natural, brain-controlled movements, as well as the sense of touch in bionic limbs.

But what we find particularly exciting is the fourth priority of the center: the development of a mobile delivery system to provide access to prosthetics for patients in medically underserved communities.

Why it matters

The announcement states that the MIT researchers will test a mobile clinic to deliver 3D-printed prosthetics in rural Sierra Leone. According to estimates, roughly 27,000 Sierra Leoneans were disabled or had one or more of their limbs amputated during the Sierra Leone Civil War.

Today, less than 10% of the population benefits from functional prostheses. A mobile system could scale up production and access. The project has significant support from Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio and his Chief Innovation Officer David Moinina Sengeh, an MIT Media Lab graduate who worked on new prosthetics for amputees during his time at MIT. Be sure to read his personal summary of a lifetime's work.