Go go robo-ankle! A robotic device kitted out with artificial muscles could help people with cerebral palsy strengthen their foot and ankle muscles, helping to improve their walking. Yong-Lae Park of Carnegie Mellon University and his colleagues took a standard knee strap, ankle brace and shoe, and attached four pneumatic artificial muscles. These are flexible tubes that contract when filled with air, mimicking the action of biological muscles. Three artificial muscles link the knee with the front of the ankle while a fourth is placed on the back, in an effort to replicate the normal configuration of muscles and tendons.
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