"Extreme Bionics"

Half the world’s population currently suffers from some form of physical or neurological disability. But what if there were no such thing as human disability? What if, through the invention and deployment of novel technologies, human disability could be eradicated? Advances in genetics, regenerative medicine and robotics are beginning to enable more intimate connections between the human body and machines.  From neural interfaces with the human nervous system, to bionic limbs that move like their biological counterparts, Professor Hugh Herr will discuss Extreme Bionics, a research agenda with global implications for improving the human condition.

Through fundamental advances in human-machine interaction, society can eliminate disability in this century, and set the technological foundation for an enhanced human experience -- extending human physicality, cognition and creativity beyond what nature intended. 

Hugh Herr was born in Lancaster County. By age eight he was a prodigy rock climber and by 17 he was acknowledged to be one of the best climbers in the United States. In January 1982, Herr had parts of both legs amputated from frostbite after being caught in a blizzard on Mt Washington.

Following months of surgeries and rehabilitation, Herr was doing what doctors told him was unthinkable: climbing again, using specialized prostheses that he designed.  As a result of using the prostheses, Herr became the first person with a major amputation to perform in a sport on par with elite-level, able-bodied persons.

Herr is a graduate of Millersville University, MIT, and Harvard University.  Today Dr. Herr is Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and heads the Biomechatronics group at the MIT Media Lab creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs. In 2011, TIME magazine coined him the “Leader of the Bionic Age.”

Herr is the author and co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and patents, chronicling the science and technology behind his many innovations.  In 2014, Herr’s Biomechatronics team advanced the first autonomous exoskeleton to reduce the metabolic cost of human walking, a goal that has eluded scientists for over a century. He has also designed his own bionic limbs, the world's first bionic lower leg called the BiOM Ankle System which has been clinically shown to be the first leg prosthesis to achieve biomechanical and physiological normalization.

Herr has received many accolades for his groundbreaking innovations, including the 13th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment; the Prince Salman Award for Disability Research; the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Technology; the 14th Innovator of the Year Award; the 41st Inventor of the Year Award; and the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research.

Herr's story has been told in a National Geographic film, “Ascent: The Story of Hugh Herr.” He has also been featured on CNN and other broadcasters and in many press articles, including The Economist, Discover, and Nature.  

Hugh Herr is married to author Patricia Ellis Herr and has two daughters, Alexandra and Sage.