Alion Science and Technology, an R&D company with expertise in modeling and simulation, has been awarded an 18-month, $1.4 million contract from the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to explore approaches in bringing robotic control technology to the field of prosthetic limbs.
Since 2003, 1,145 soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have had a limb amputated. Under the new contract, Alion will develop a protocol and modeling tool for robotic, upper limb prosthetics that will lead to the development of an affordable prosthetic device that is lightweight, more functional to the amputee, more power-efficient and has an extended battery life.
The program is designed to augment and accelerate the development of implantable electronic sensors and the development and application of virtual prototyping simulation models, which will ultimately help the amputee better control the prosthetic.
Rear Admiral Richard Brooks, USN (Ret.), manager of Alion’s Distributed Simulation Group, said the program is "expected to result in a model for developing a unique, rather than a one-size fits all, robotic prosthetic device for an amputee."
In addition, he said, it will "lower costs for embedding sensors within a limb" and lead to an "advanced integrated control system that allows for lighter, more comfortable and more cost-effective prostheses. Our modeling and simulation expertise will greatly help facilitate advancements in the field of artificial limbs.”
Alion is partnering with Sigenics Inc., of Chicago, on the contract. Sigenics is a small business that designs integrated circuits and supplies tested die or packaged parts for sensor, analog and mixed-signal applications.
