Grant agreement no.: 16SV7655K
Grant Scheme: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF
Project full title: Intelligent orthotics and prosthetics for an improved human-technology interaction
Project acronym: INOPRO
Duration of the project: 60 months
Start date of the project: 01.10.2016
Project partners: Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Fachhochschule Lübeck, CorTec GmbH, Makea Industries GmbH, Eckerle Industrie-Elektronik GmbH, Plettenberg Elektromotoren GmbH & Co. KG, Sanitätshaus Bielefeld GmbH
Persons with amputations or other motor impairments require prostheses or orthoses to replace their lost motor functions. Despite considerable advances in this medical field, often even the current best orthopaedic technology aids are an insufficient replacement. The elderly and the physically weak must still be able to rely on their aids.
Goals and Approach
For prostheses and orthoses to be particularly effective, they must be small, light, low-noise, energy-saving, and efficient nonetheless. They must adapt well to the body, allow for intuitive use and compensate the motor deficit optimally. Only if these requirements are met, will they achieve a high degree of user acceptance. The support offered by the aid must adapt synergistically to the person’s musculoskeletal system and motor functions. The combination of all of these features is a considerable technical challenge, which shall be addressed within the innovation cluster through an interdisciplinary approach. To do so, leading researchers and developers in the fields of orthopaedic technology, biomechanics, robotics, mechatronics, and invasive human-machine interfaces are all brought together.
INNOVATIONs and Perspectives
The project INOPRO combines innovation potentials in Germany and puts them into practise. The resulting intelligent prostheses and orthoses for the upper and lower extremities will significantly improve the quality of life of many people.