Restoring daily balance with smarter powered ankle prostheses
Official title: Toward Restoration of Normative Postural Control and Stability using Neural Control of Powered Prosthetic Ankles
Funded at North Carolina State University Raleigh · NIH-11367463 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to improve balance and reduce falls for people with lower-limb amputations by making powered ankle prostheses smarter and easier to control.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $619,693 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD110519-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367463 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with lower-limb amputation who use a transtibial (below-knee) prosthesis.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without lower-limb amputation or those using upper-limb prostheses are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores how neural control of a powered ankle prosthesis can help people with a transtibial amputation maintain better balance during everyday activities. It focuses on real-world tasks like transferring from sitting to standing and turning, where balance problems often lead to falls. By improving how the prosthetic ankle responds to the wearer’s natural movements, the study seeks to restore more normal postural control. The goal is to enable safe, independent daily living with less fear of falling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce falls and improve confidence and independence in daily activities for people with LLA.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work emphasizes walking efficiency; this study targets balance and postural control with neural-integrated prostheses, which is a promising but developing area.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina State University Raleigh
Raleigh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, He — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Huang, He
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.