Mind-Controlled bionic ankle takes steps toward feeling like the real thing
NCT ID NCT07645729
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers at MIT are testing a powered ankle prosthesis that uses nerve signals for control and provides skin sensations to the user. Ten people with below-knee amputations will compare this bionic ankle to their regular prosthetic during walking and other tasks. The goal is to see if the device feels more natural and improves movement, which could guide future designs for better daily use.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Powered ankle prosthesis with neural recording and cutaneous stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward more natural and intuitive bionic limbs that feel like part of the body.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study (10 people) testing feasibility, not a treatment. The device may not work for everyone or in daily life.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or Female age 18-70. The patient must have a unilateral transtibial amputation . The patient must have the ability to ambulate at variable cadence (an expected lower extremity prosthesis functional level of K3 or above). The patient must have adequate socket to support the device. Exclusion Criteria: * Women who are pregnant. Severe co morbidity, atypical skeletal anatomy, or poor general physical/mental health that, in the opinion of the Investigator, will not allow the subject to be a good study candidate (i.e. other disease processes, mental capacity, substance abuse, shortened life expectancy, vulnerable patient population, BMI \>40, etc.).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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MIT Media Lab
RECRUITINGCambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a motorized knee help amputees walk more? trial puts it to the test
- Can we predict prosthetic success? a study seeks answers
- Can bionic limbs feel real? a trial tests touch feedback for amputees
- Can a common anesthetic dampen phantom limb pain?
- Can tiny electrodes give amputees a better grip on bionic limbs?
- FitBit coaching may help amputees walk more after surgery