Cutting-Edge Designers 2007

Hilmar Janusson

Vice-President, Research and Development, Ossur

Hilmar Janusson is working at the cross-section of artificial intelligence and prosthetics. The lead designer at Icelandic medical-device maker Ossur supervised the production of the award-winning Proprio Foot, released in fall 2006, which applies motion sensors and proprietary bionics to provide amputees with reactive replacement feet that move in realistic motions. Janusson’s approach to prosthetics design is to develop original technology specific to amputees’ needs, rather than the more traditional approach of borrowing or adapting from other industries. The artificial intelligence of the Proprio Foot, for example, can be programmed to reflect an individual’s unique gait; less advanced designs force an amputee to adjust his or her natural walking motions to accommodate a stiff prosthetic. The foot is also designed to point downward when an amputee sits, giving a more natural look.