45min. talk with 15min Q&A followed by a public reception. Free and open to the public

About Hugh Herr
Hugh Herr is reimagining the relationship between human beings and technology, creating bionic systems that restore mobility, expand human capability, and redefine the boundaries of the body. Recognizing his pioneering contributions to the field, TIME magazine named Dr. Herr the “Leader of the Bionic Age.” His work has helped establish the discipline of biomechatronics, an area of research that integrates human physiology with electromechanical technologies to restore and enhance the human body. A double amputee himself, Herr has led breakthrough advances in bionic limb technology that have transformed the lives of people with physical disabilities around the world. He is Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an Associate Investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Director of the MIT Biomechatronics Group, and Co-Director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics. Herr is the author or co-author of more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and patents spanning wearable robotics and neural interfacing technologies. Among his many innovations is the EmPower ankle-foot prosthesis, the first commercially available powered prosthesis to emulate the action of the biological ankle and restore a more natural gait to individuals with leg amputation. The technology was recognized by TIME
magazine as one of the Top Ten Inventions in Health. His research group also developed the first autonomous lower-extremity exoskeleton shown to significantly reduce the metabolic cost of human walking. This breakthrough technology led to the founding of Dephy, a company that is pioneering bionic footwear for both medical and consumer applications. More recently, Herr and his team have invented novel mechanoneural interfaces that establish direct communication pathways between the human nervous system and synthetic computation. These innovations combine advanced surgical techniques and regenerative methods with neural interfacing technologies, enabling individuals with limb loss to control prosthetic limbs using their own nervous systems while experiencing
natural proprioceptive and tactile sensations. For his scientific and technological contributions, Herr has received numerous honors, including the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment; the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Technology; the Innovator of the Year Award; the Inventor of the Year Award; the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research; and the Liberty Science Center Genius Award. Herr’s life and work have been featured in the National Geographic documentary Ascent: The Story of Hugh Herr and in major
media outlets including CNN, The Economist, Nature, and Discover.