hherr@media.mit.edu

Professor Herr's primary research objective is to apply the principles of muscle mechanics, neural control and animal locomotion to guide the designs of biomimetic robots and rehabilitation technologies. Professor Herr has developed numerical models that predict how the mechanics and energetics of running animals change with speed and animal size. His research has led to the development of novel actuation strategies, including the use of animal-derived muscle to power robots in the millimeter to centimeter size scale. His laboratory has also developed gait adaptive knee prostheses for transfemoral amputees and variable impedance ankle-foot orthoses for patients suffering from drop foot, a gait pathology caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis.