BionX emPOWER Prosthetic

emPOWER Prosthetic by BionX Medical Technologies, Inc.

Research, Usability, Industrial Design, Mechanism Engineering, FEA Analysis, Manufacturing Fixtures

BionX commercialized a new generation of robotic prostheses that overcome the limitations of passive limbs. The emPOWER is a bionic prosthetic ankle designed to replace lost muscle function for below-the-knee amputees. This prosthetic design enables amputees to walk faster and with less effort on all terrain.

MANTA's specialties in developing medical, robotics, and consumer products proved to be a great match for BionX. Dr. Hugh Herr of MIT and founder of BionX (formerly iWalk and BiOM) asked us to provide mechanical engineering and industrial design services for the prosthetic foot.

Working with BionX, MANTA designers and engineers translated the emPOWER prosthetic from its early laboratory configuration into the fully commercialized solution available today.

In 2017, German prosthetics company Ottobock purchased the Boston-based BionX and now sells the Empower prosthetic to patients across the U.S.

Challenge

BionX presented MANTA with a proof-of-concept prototype and asked for help evolving it into a true commercial product.
 
MANTA's engineers performed extensive testing and development to achieve the prosthetics target specifications. We optimized for performance, size, and weight to create a prosthetic that patients could rely on.
 
For manufacturing, we developed a variety of assembly and calibration fixtures. MANTA also developed the BionX software application used by prosthetists to tune the device.

Result

The emPower prosthetic is equipped with an active, motor-driven ankle joint, making it the only prosthesis in the world with powered propulsion. The device has received rave reviews from amputee patients and was a finalist for the 2018 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA).

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