Imperial College London Develops Revolutionary Adaptive Material to Improve Prosthetic Limb Comfort
A pioneering wearable robotics development could finally offer amputees a solution to a 200-year-old challenge in prosthetic comfort.
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed Roliner, a revolutionary new material that allows amputees to adjust the fit of their prosthetic limb liners in real time using a smartphone. After eight years of development, this adaptive material offers a personalised and comfortable prosthetic experience by changing its shape, volume, and stiffness throughout the day.
Traditional prosthetic sockets are rigid and can cause discomfort, blisters, and sores because they can’t adapt to the natural changes in an amputee’s residual limb. Dr Firat Guder, Principal Investigator at Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering, explains:
“No matter how advanced the limb, if it can’t connect comfortably with the body, it becomes unwearable.”
Roliner’s silicone elastomer material contains pressurised channels that expand or soften like an inflating basketball, adapting to body changes and activity levels. The material also incorporates AI to learn and adjust automatically based on individual needs.
Dr Uğur Tanriverdi, an Imperial graduate and co-founder of the wearable robotics company Unhindr, adds:
“Poorly fitting prosthetics not only cause physical pain but also impact mental health and independence. Roliner offers a real solution.”
The technology could extend beyond prosthetics to applications like exoskeletons, hospital beds, and protective gear. Roliner is expected to be available in the UK by the end of 2025.
The full research is published in Nature Communications.
This post is based on research and news from Imperial College London. Read the full original story here: Imperial College London News – New material allows amputees to adjust prosthetic fit
For more information:
Nature Communications article
Imperial College Bioengineering Department
Unhindr website