iWalk Founder Wins the 2012 Museum of Science Invented Here! Award

Dr. Hugh Herr Recognized for Invention of First Personal Bionics Solution—BiOM^® Ankle System

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iWalk, the leader in Personal Bionics™, announced today that Founder Hugh Herr, PhD, received the prestigious Invented Here! Award from the Museum of Science, Boston, for his invention of the BiOM^® Ankle System, the first true personal bionic intervention enabling natural movement for lower-limb amputees. Unlike traditional prosthetics that only mimic bone structure, the commercially-available BiOM emulates muscles and tendons, empowering people to walk with a natural gait at their chosen speed using the same metabolic energy as a non-amputee.

“It is the Museum’s great pleasure to recognize each of the impressive honorees with this award as a testament to their contributions to the region’s preeminence in science and technology and their commitment to transforming the nation's relationship with these critical fields.”

With the BiOM System, Dr. Hugh Herr, director of the Biomechatronics Group at the MIT Media Lab, created a lower extremity solution that has been clinically proven to normalize function, enhance mobility and extend potential for people with lower limb loss. In the future, the same underlying technology will also help people whose mobility is limited by stroke, diabetes or other conditions of disease and age. iWalk has received funding and support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and leading venture firms.

“Transcending the concept of disability and redefining the standard of care for amputees is a critical challenge facing the global research and development community,” said Dr. Hugh Herr. “Boston’s local innovators and research institutes need to continue to pave the way for inventions in the field of science, medicine and biotechnology. I am honored to receive this award from the Museum of Science, which recognizes the true power and potential of personal bionics.”

Invented Here! was developed by the Museum of Science in collaboration with the Boston Patent Law Association (BPLA) to honor New England's newest and most innovative technologies. Through the program, the Museum presents breakthrough technologies that shape the way people interact with each other and with the world around them, fulfill important individual and/or social needs in novel ways, and ensure a more sustainable future for our environment. The 2012 award ceremony was held on September 20, 2012 at the Museum of Science, Boston.

“The Invented Here! competition represents the region’s passion for and dedication to innovation,” said Ioannis (Yannis) Miaoulis, president and director, Museum of Science, Boston. “It is the Museum’s great pleasure to recognize each of the impressive honorees with this award as a testament to their contributions to the region’s preeminence in science and technology and their commitment to transforming the nation's relationship with these critical fields.”

About the Museum of Science, Boston

One of the world's largest science centers and Boston's most attended cultural institution, the Museum introduces about 1.5 million visitors a year to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) via dynamic programs and hundreds of interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 3-D Digital Cinema and Butterfly Garden. Reaching 25,000 teens a year worldwide via the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, the Museum also leads a 10-year, $41 million National Science Foundation-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network of science museums. The Museum’s “Science Is an Activity” exhibit plan has been awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. Its National Center for Technological Literacy®’s engineering curricula have reached 35,500 teachers and close to 3 million students nationwide. The Museum has also: been recognized by Boston and Cambridge for its energy and sustainability efforts; named an Employer of Choice by Work Without Limits, a Massachusetts disability employment initiative; is Yankee Magazine's "Best of New England Readers' Choice" for Cultural Attraction in Science; and is El Planeta's Best Tourist Attraction for the Massachusetts Latino population.

About iWalk

iWalk Inc. is the pioneer and leader in personal bionic innovation. With the introduction of BiOM technology, the company has been able to embrace mobility and extend potential for people with lower-limb loss. In the future, the same underlying technology will also help people whose mobility is limited by stroke, diabetes or other conditions of disease or age.

The company was founded in 2006 by Dr. Hugh Herr, director of the Biomechatronics Group at the MIT Media Lab. Privately held and headquartered in Bedford, Mass., the company has received funding and support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and leading venture firms WFD Ventures, General Catalyst Partners and Sigma Partners. For more information, please visit www.iwalk.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@MyBiOM).

BiOM, the BiOM logo, Personal Bionics, Powered Plantar Flexion and Personal Bionic Tuning are trademarks of iWalk Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.