Dr Hugh Herr: Bionics and Beyond

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The AMI Procedure and Magneto Micrometry

 

This week I was honored to have back on my podcast, Dr Hugh Herr.

Hugh is a bilateral below knee amputee and a professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT.

He directs the MIT Biomechatronics Group and Co-directs the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics.

Time Magazine coined Hugh the ‘Leader of the Bionic Age’.

He has also authored and co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts and patents, chronicling the science and technology behind his many innovations.

Dr. Hugh Herr is, in short, making huge contributions in the amputee community, giving amputees a hopeful future in living active and healthy lives.

Today, we discuss the AMI procedure (agonist-antagonist myoneural interface) which is the surgery I just had done in Boston with Dr Matthew Carty (co-creator of this surgery with Hugh) on June 20.

I was back in the MIT Media Lab over a year and a half ago, when I first met Hugh while I was a control group to test their bionic knee based on my traditional amputation.

Little did I know that less than two years later I would undergo groundbreaking surgery to improve my limb and prepare my body to use the myoneural knee that is soon to be made commercial.

This is exciting and unbelievable technology that brings hope and excitement to me, as an amputee, because we are going to see a huge change in our mobility based on this type of procedure plus the bionics, 3D printed sockets, and the Magneto Micrometry that is coming out of MIT!

 

Hugh working with a PhD student on the “bionic” knee. Photo credit. Jimmy Day/MIT Media Lab

 

Amputees, get excited for what is coming!

Our future looks so bright and we are going to have technology on our side so we can reach our goals and dream big dreams!

 

Listen in as Hugh takes us through everything coming down the MIT Media Lab pipeline and how it’ll work together to make us stronger, healthier, and more capable than ever before!

Warriors, this is incredible and inspiring!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Hugh, for taking time out of your very busy schedule to speak with me and bring more visibility to our future as amputees and for all the innovations and dedication to making us more complete and more than capable than we ever thought possible.

We appreciate you and all of your students and colleagues at MIT and MassGeneral.

 

For more information on the AMI procedure check out my June 9, 2025 episode with Dr. Matthew Carty HERE

And for a more in depth conversation with Dr. Hugh Herr about his journey, you can listen HERE

 

If you have any questions or thoughts on these technological advancements, please reach out to me and let’s have a conversation!

Hope you all have a beautiful week ahead.

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,