Hugh Herr's bionic revolution: when technology becomes part of us episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 16, 2026 · 32 MIN

Hugh Herr's bionic revolution: when technology becomes part of us

from Made For Us

*** Help shape the future of Made For Us! Take our quick listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7---At age 17, Hugh Herr was an elite rock climber whose life was defined by the vertical world, until a mountain climbing accident fundamentally changed his trajectory.Today, as Professor at the MIT Media Lab and co-director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, his work focuses on creating bionic limbs that move and feel like natural limbs. His innovations include computer controlled artificial knees, powered ankle-foot prostheses and exoskeletons, earning him the title "Leader of the Bionic Age."In this conversation, he shares the personal story behind his mission to design transformative and human-centred technology, and the global challenge of making prosthetics accessible to all.You'll learn:- What the next frontier of human augmentation looks like- Major innovations from Hugh Herr's lab at MIT, including a groundbreaking new surgical technique- The roadmap for creating a future with equitable, global access to advanced prosthetic technology---*** Help us shape the future of Made For Us! Take our 4-minute listener survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and get instant access to our curated reading list of every book ever recommended on the show: https://forms.gle/pNyrCooa23oYsaVk7---About Hugh HerrHugh Herr is Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, and co-leads the Yang Center for Bionics at MIT. He is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs. TIME Magazine coined him the "Leader of the Bionic Age" because of his revolutionary work in the emerging field of Biomechatronics - technology that marries human physiology with electromechanics.Follow Hugh Herrr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-herr-023697b/Follow Hugh Herr on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugh.herr/Learn more about the Biomechatronics Group at MIT: https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/biomechatronics/overview/Learn more about the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics: https://yangtan.mit.edu/k-lisa-yang-center-for-bionics/---Connect with Made for Us- Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/- Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

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