The mechanical engineer and professor of Biophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Hugh Herr has been awarded the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research for his contribution to the development and design of bionic limbs and robotic prostheses.
At the age of 17, Herr suffered the amputation of both legs after suffering the frostbite of his limbs during an expedition to the mountains, which is why the American engineer directed his efforts and his talent to try to improve the mobility of all those people who suffer from disabilities designing their own bionic legs.
His candidacy was proposed by Robert Langer, Prince of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research in 2008 and the jury has ruled in his favor for “having developed the first prostheses that manage to emulate human locomotion, allowing him to overcome disabilities, such as the one he himself it has ” , clarifies the jury of the award.
The Prize is endowed with a sculpture by Joan Miró, 50,000 euros, a diploma and a badge. Last year, the award went to biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their work on genome editing.
