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American bionic engineer Hugh Herr wins Spain's Princess of Asturias award

Xinhua, June 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

American bionic engineer Hugh Herr won Spain's Princess of Asturias 2016 award for technical and scientific research, it was announced on Wednesday.

The jury "unanimously decided to grant the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research to American researcher Hugh Herr," describing him as "a world leader in bionics for having developed the first prostheses capable of emulating human locomotion, thus enabling disabilities, such as the one he himself has, to be overcome."

Herr, who currently heads the Biomechatronic group at the MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts, had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 17 due to severe frostbite while mountain climbing.

The jury emphasized his pioneering research combined artificial intelligence, neurophysiology, and robotics to create "a new class of smart prostheses that can be controlled by the brain."

They also highlighted the huge impact his research had on people with disabilities thanks to the prostheses that enable movement that is similar to physiological movement.

Herr said he was "deeply moved" to receive the award, pointing out "it is my hope that this recognition will shed light on the global mission to end human disability in the 21st century through continued advancements in bionics."

The prize is 50,000 euros (55,886 U.S. dollars). Endit