Hugh Herr told us that from the knee down, he’s all nuts and bolts: his legs were amputated below the knee after a mountain climbing accident. He was told he’d never climb a mountain aain. The turning point was when he asked “what does a doctor know about mountain climbing?”
Hugh spent his time in the machine shop to build artificial legs and feet that were optimized for mountain climbing… maybe the ultimate mountain climbing boots! He can adjust his height. If he needs to be seven feet tall, no problem!
Simplicity through biological inspiration
He showed the results of his R&D: an artificial knee that permits a normal gait, navigation over rough terrain. They are active and are designed to behave like the biological components they are replacing.
I remember hugh, as a 16 year-old quite kid, and watching him climb, before an after his tragedy, and walking down the bridle path in the gunks, with his legs on the opposite legs, and i knew right there, he would accomplish great things!!he might not remember me & the philly boys, but we truely had some fun times in NEW PALTZ, listening to the whippets, in those great little bars! HE truely was an inspiration, even as a teen, i remember him soloing P.R. and i was a solid 5-11 climber, but i could only follow it, with numerous falls, he flashed it.well i might have to get one of hugh’s ankle inventions some day soon, got hit on my harley, keep up your brillant work HUGH!! the boy’s from PHILLY. p.s. this was a total rave.