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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Robot leg</span></span>
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<p>A <b>robot leg</b> (or <b>robotic leg</b>) is a mechanical leg that performs the same functions that a human leg can. The robotic leg is typically programmed to execute similar functions as a <a href="Human_leg" title="Human leg">human leg</a>. A robotic leg is similar to a <a href="Prosthetic_leg" class="mw-redirect" title="Prosthetic leg">prosthetic leg</a>. However, a robotic leg can be controlled electrically or mechanically. To have the robotic leg emulate human leg behaviors, surgeons must redirect the nerves that previously controlled some of the person’s lower-leg muscles to cause the thigh muscles to contract. Sensors embedded in the robotic leg measure the electrical pulses created by both a re-innervated muscle contraction, and the existing thigh muscle.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Mechanism">Mechanism</h2></div>
<p>A robotic leg attaches to an individual who has had a lower extremity amputation—of a portion of a leg or foot. Doctors and technicians measure the remaining limb structure and of the person’s prosthesis to ideally fit the robotic leg.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After they attach the robotic leg, they embed the sensors in the robotic leg that measure the electrical activity created by re-<a href="Innervated" class="mw-redirect" title="Innervated">innervated</a> muscle contraction, and existing thigh muscle.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Applications">Applications</h2></div>
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<p>Robotic legs have become a popular target of research and development in the past few years. Robotic legs can be applied to people who have had limb amputating surgery caused by a major trauma, or a disease like cancer. Robotic legs have also seen much applicable use in military combat injuries. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been working to create a “bionic” or robotic leg that can function as if it had organic muscles.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nature.com/news/rewired-nerves-control-robotic-leg-1.13818">Rewired nerves control robotic leg</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/prosthetic-limb.htm">How Prosthetic Limbs Work</a></span>
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<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/future-robotic-legs-180953040/">Is This the Future of Robotic Legs?</a></span>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
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<div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Robot_legs" class="extiw external" title="commons:Category:Robot legs">Robot legs</a></span>.</div></div>
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<ul><li><a href="Robot_arm" class="mw-redirect" title="Robot arm">Robot arm</a></li>
<li><a href="Legged_robot" title="Legged robot">Legged robot</a></li>
<li><a href="Leg_mechanism" title="Leg mechanism">Leg Mechanism</a></li></ul></div><!--htdig_noindex--><div><div class="zim-footer">
This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-07-24" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Robot_leg&oldid=1302208859">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
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