Soon,robot legs that can See

Rearchers are developing an artificial vision system that can enable a robotic ankle to see where it is going to improve the wearer's gait.

The key components are a low-cost camera and a computercontrolled actuator, which adjusts the ankle's position through a system of cables. The camera can identify the profile of the ground, while the computer knows where the next footstep will be, based on how the user is moving the leg.

Then the computer analyses the information from the camera and applies the correct angle and stiffness to the ankle, just as you would with your biological foot and ankle.

Because the foot is moved by lines similar to bicycle brake cables, the actuator does not have to be mounted on the prosthesis, where the user must to move it with every step. He hopes that eventually their robotic ankle will find its way out of the lab and onto the sidewalk.