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March 3, 2011 - Randy Tipton is a 3-tour Afghanistan and 1-tour Iraq veteran. Tipton made his way back to the States and ended up having his foot amputated after being involved in a motorcycle accident.
Tipton has since been outfitted with an iWalk PowerFoot BiOM, which is a bionic foot. To say this foot is advanced beyond standard prosthetics is an understatement. Tipton demonstrated this very fact last month at the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Houston, Texas as he walked down the hall without even the slightest limp.
The iWalk PowerFoot BiOM mirrors the action of the wearer's Achilles' tendon, ankle, and calf muscle, all of which are taken in most lower leg amputations. At its core, the bionic foot operates as a collaboration of microprocessors, various sensors, a central motor, and a carbon-fiber spring. The foot can be adjusted to custom fit the veteran wearing it through a Droid smart phone via Bluetooth.
Every prosthetic foot is "passive." Every foot, that is, except the iWalk PowerFoot BiOM. The iWalk PowerFoot BiOM is an "active" foot in that it powers the walker through his or her steps. The more the walker puts into the step, the more energy
is put out; the foot is reflexive. The foot also senses and adapts to uneven ground, such as stairs. Its operation is based on biomimetic engineering, which is a fluid combination of bionics and robotics. Electronics are used to copy leg, ankle, and foot functions, and the motor operates as the wearer's lost muscles.
Tipton received his foot though the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), but there are currently only 4 army hospitals with these amazing devices. Hopefully more will be produced, and we will see amputee veterans becoming more mobile than ever before.
Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.
At LaVan and Neidenberg, we are determined to secure veterans their rightful disability compensation and disability rating. We wrote this book for you! In it you will find valuable tips on how to navigate the claims process and avoid common pitfalls. Request your FREE copy today!
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