A low-noise low-impedance powered knee prosthesis with direct ball screw drive and torque-sensitive actuation

Brendon Ortolano, Lukas Gabert, Tommaso Lenzi, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Robotics Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Salt Lake City

The International Journal of Robotics Research

Published online on November 28, 2025

Abstract

The International Journal of Robotics Research, Volume 45, Issue 8, Page 1217-1246, July 2026.
The standard of care for individuals with above-knee amputation is the microprocessor-controlled knee prosthesis—a lightweight and quiet device that can actively regulate joint resistance but cannot generate positive power like biological legs during ...