BioMechatronics: Designing Next-Level Robotics for Humans [Podcast]

I grew up in the generation where fictional characters like Coronel Steve Austin, also known as The Six Million Dollar Man, was a hero to many young kids. Six million dollars seemed like an enormous amount of money back then too. For those of you too young to remember the TV show, Austin was an astronaut who was badly injured and needed six million dollars of bionics to make him into a super-strong crime fighter. He was the original RoboCop, in a sense. We all understood that Col. Austin was a fictional character with an almost completely bionic body, which was such a futuristic concept, and one that I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

We’ll, after speaking with Dr. Matt Carney, it seems we might be at the tipping point of when we could possibly see a real-life Col. Steve Austin sooner than we think. Matt is an expert on Biometrics. He received his PhD from MIT, focused on Biomechatronics, has a BS and Masters in Mechanical Engineering, and eight years of industry experience in Medical device, wind power, humanoid robotics systems, and lower extremity walking robots. Quite the resume, and Matt might also be the guy who brings us to the next level of Biomechatronics. I’ll be honest, I knew nothing about this field, but after speaking with Matt, I’m very excited about the future of this area of study.

Listen into my full interview with Matt in the latest Born to Design Podcast: