At this year’s NIH Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, three undergraduate students, Elise Nielsen, Eleanor Stevens, and Duncan Stewart-Jackson, took home the prize with their innovative design of the U-Build Bionic Knee.

 

Elise Nielsen, Eleanor Stevens, and Duncan Stewart-Jackson pose with a plaque
Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering majors Elise Nielsen, Eleanor Stevens, and Duncan Stewart-Jackson pose with their award at the 2024 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting.

These students are part of the HGN lab run by Mechanical Engineering professor Tommaso Lenzi and are proud students of the Biomedical Engineering (Stewart-Jackson) and the Mechanical Engineering (Nielson and Stevens) programs. The HGN lab team earned $15,000 for the National center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, NICHD Rehabilitative and Assistive Technologies Prize.

 

 

The U-Build Bionic Knee is a low-cost prosthesis designed to improve mobility and quality of life for individuals with lower-leg amputation. the device generates assistive power at the knee joint, helping users with common mobility challenges presented by unpowered prostheses, such as sit-to-stand movements and climbing stairs.

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