prosthetic limb
The latest advance in wearable robotic technology promises to solve a 200-year-old problem by revolutionising the fit of prosthetic limbs.
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed ‘Roliner,’ a breakthrough material for prosthetic limb liners. Amputees can use a smartphone to adjust the material’s shape, volume, and stiffness in real-time, ensuring a more comfortable and personalized fit.
This innovation could prevent painful issues like blisters and sores caused by poorly fitting prosthetics, often forcing some individuals to revert to wheelchairs.
Dr. Firat Guder and Dr. Uğur Tanriverdi have emphasized Roliner’s groundbreaking potential in addressing the challenges faced by amputees. Traditional prosthetic limbs often become uncomfortable due to their rigid and unresponsive design, which cannot adapt to the body’s natural changes over time.
Dr. Guder explains that rather than modifying the limbs or sockets themselves, the team focused on creating a dynamically adaptive liner that bridges the body and the rigid socket, ensuring a more responsive connection.
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Dr. Tanriverdi, co-founder of Unhindr, highlights that poorly fitting prosthetics cause severe physical pain, risking infections and forcing some amputees to resort to wheelchairs. Beyond physical discomfort, these issues can deeply affect mental health by limiting independence and freedom.
Roliner aims to offer a much-needed solution to these persistent problems, improving amputees’ physical and emotional well-being.
The researchers hope Roliner will be available in the UK by the end of 2025.
Roliner, with integrated artificial intelligence, can adapt to an amputee’s personal preferences and changes in body shape. It automatically adjusts its properties—shape, volume, and stiffness—based on factors like time of day, weight fluctuations, or activity type. For instance, users might prefer a looser fit when seated and a tighter fit during physical activities like walking.
Made from silicone elastomers, Roliner uses pressurizable channels to modify its properties. Dr. Tanriverdi explains this by likening it to a basketball: when inflated, it becomes larger and firmer, and when deflated, it becomes smaller and softer. This innovation ensures a prosthetic limb fits closely and comfortably, overcoming a common issue that often makes them unwearable, as highlighted by Dr. Firat Guder.
The innovative Roliner technology addresses prosthetic fitting challenges and opens up exciting possibilities in other fields. Guglielmo Senesi, Chief Technology Officer at Unhindr, highlights how most prosthetic fittings still rely on traditional methods like plaster casting. Roliner’s data-driven approach modernizes and standardizes these fittings, ensuring consistent quality.
Tarek Asfour, Unhindr’s Chief Operating Officer, explains that Roliner represents a transition from rigid mechanics to soft, adaptive robotics, emphasizing integration with the human body rather than just movement.
Beyond prosthetics, the researchers envision its use in enhancing the flexibility of rehabilitation exoskeletons, adjusting hospital bed pressure points, and improving protective gear like ski boots and astronaut wearables.
Journal Reference:
Tanriverdi, U., Senesi, G., Asfour, T. et al. Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human-machine interfaces. Nat Commun 16, 2621 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57634-8
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