A space tech spin-off from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to help above-knee amputees to walk with a comfortable gait. The microprocessor-controlled knees (MPKs) being developed by the space agency offer ''extended capabilities for the amputee than those offered by the passive limbs that do not use microprocessors,'' the ISRO said on Friday.
The 'smart' MPKs are being developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities, and the Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).
''Thus far, a 1.6 kg MPK has enabled an amputee to walk about 100 m with minimum support. Efforts to improve the performance are under way,'' said ISRO.