In July, the  Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa introduced a motorless, flexible, waterproof prosthetic foot inspired by the anatomy of the human extremity.

The SoftFoot Pro bionic foot prototype aims to serve both as a flexible technological prosthesis for people with limb loss and as a solution for the humanoid robots of the future. Some of its key technological solutions have obtained two international patents, and a third patent is under evaluation by the European Patent Office. SoftFoot Pro is designed to be used on uneven terrain, including slippery grounds, where it is typically more challenging for prosthetic users, and for robots, to maintain balance.

The prototype was shown for the first time during the G7 Health track’s Technical Event “Life-long prevention for healthy and active ageing,” organized by the Italian Ministry of Health in collaboration with IIT. The event was embedded within the 3rd Health Working Group of the G7 Presidency and its high-level session on Artificial Intelligence. The two main themes were Life-Long Prevention, which is indispensable to prevent premature deaths and years lived with disability, and Innovation, which plays a crucial role in sustaining efforts to attain healthy and active ageing.

Soft Foot Pro weighs approximately 450 grams (about one pound) and can support loads of up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds). It consists of a mobile arch mechanism in titanium (or aeronautical-grade aluminum alloy), whose ends are connected by five high-strength plastic chains arranged in parallel to simulate the plantar fascia of human feet.

These chains are traversed lengthwise by a high-performance, mechanically inextensible cable, connected at the heel. Each chain is characterized by multiple modules made of high-strength plastic derived from automotive technologies and linked to each other by pairs of elastics. The arch system and the elastic chains constitute the artificial equivalent of the architecture composed by tarsus, metatarsus, and phalanges of the human foot.

To view a video of the new device in action and learn more, click here