WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ESTIMATES AT LEAST 30 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD NEED SOME FORM OF PROSTHETIC LIMB AND GLOBAL CONFLICTS FROM UKRAINE TO GUYS ARE ONLY SERVING TO DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS HIGHER.

BUT ARTIFICIAL LIMBS HAVE COME A LONG WAY.

AND AT THE SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITY LAB IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO, THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIONIC PROSTHETICS ARE BEING DEVELOPED.

PRODUCER PAUL CAME VISITED TO FIND OUT MORE IN CAUGHT UP WITH SCULPTOR, TERRY CARPETS, WHO LOST A LEG IN A MOTORCYCLE CRASH IN 1975.

AND WE FIRST MET IN 2019.

>> MY INITIAL LEG WAS A.

ANOTHER SOCKET.

WITH 2 METAL BARS AND WENT DOWN TO A PIECE OF PLYWOOD, FLAT PIECE OF PLYWOOD.

AND I HAVE SEEN A PROGRESSION OVER THE YEARS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS GOING FROM A WOULD LEAD TO A FIBERGLASS LEG.

AND AND NOW A POWERED AND IT'S VERY EXCITING.

AND YOU KNOW, IT'S MY WAY MAKING LEMONADE.

THERE HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS ADVANCES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD.

>> BOTH IN THE OF BIONIC ARMS AND BIONIC LEGS GOING PLATEAU FOR MANY YEARS AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS AVAILABLE.

IT WAS A VERY STICKS.

AND SPRINGS BIONIC LEGS STARTED TO BECOME COMPUTERIZED AT THE END OF THE 1990'S.

AND THEN WE STARTED MORE SENSORS TO THEM AND MOTORS TO THEM TO GIVE SENSE OF OF RESPONSE TO THE USER WHEN THEY PUSHED AGAINST THE BETTER.

>> THESE ARE THINGS THAT I BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I CAN'T DO WITH MY NORMAL.

LIKE.

THIS LEG.

ACTUALLY POWERS MAY UP TO THEIRS.

SO DON'T HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW, DRAG ONE UP.

BEEN WITH THIS TEAM FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW AND THE FIRST DEVICE WE HAD WAS A QUITE A BIT HEAVIER.

>> BUT IT DID PROVIDE POWER AND PROVIDED THE TO SEE THE PROGRESSION TO THE DEVICE.

SO WE ARE WORKING WITH TODAY HAS BEEN AMAZING.

IT'S GOT DEFINITELY GOTTEN LIGHTER.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE IT ON PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LITTLE BIT LESS FUNCTION.

TERRY IS ABLE TO MOVE AROUND ON HIS OWN AND PERFORMS VERY WELL HIS LIFE.

SO NOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT WE'RE TRYING THIS DEVICE ON PEOPLE WHO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP TIME AS SOON AS THAT FELT LIKE THE LEG WAS NOT GOING FAIL I STARTED TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT IT COULD DO >> SO FAR I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO BREAK IT.

COMPARED TESLA AS OPPOSED TO PICKUP TRUCK >> ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ALL THOSE SIGNALS ARE THE MUSCLE.

SO SO WE'VE GOT THE TEXTILE FABRIC ON HIS RESIDUAL LIMB.

AND THOSE ARE DIFFERENT MUSCLES THAT ARE FIRING WHILE HE'S WALKING AND CLIMBING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS HOW WE CONTROL IT.

SO THERE'S EACH ONE OF THOSE BOXES ARE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.

ONE IS WALKING, STANDING STAIRS, RAMPS AND AS HE GOES TO DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, YOU'LL SEE ALL THOSE KIND OF LIGHT UP.

OUR ENGINEERING TEAM CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO ALL THOSE PARAMETERS.

SO IF TERRI WANTED TO CHANGE HOW MUCH THE LINK WAS SWINGING OR IF YOU WANTED MORE POWER GOING UP IN ON STAIRS.

WE CAN ADJUST ALL OF THAT.

>> THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN THIS TECHNOLOGY.

THEY FUNDED A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL WORK AND THEY CONTINUE TO FUND IT.

THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN DOING THE BEST FOR THE WOUNDED WARRIORS.

THE NEW CONFLICT IN UKRAINE.

A HAS RESULTED IN EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF NEW AMPUTEES THAT NEED TECHNOLOGY LIKE THIS OR OTHER TECHNOLOGY WE USE COMPONENTS FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES, WHEREVER POSSIBLE.

IT'S A CONSCIOUS STRATEGY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE OVERALL COST.

AND SO FOR USING BATTERIES OF WHICH THERE ARE SEVERAL MILLION MADE FOR THE CAR INDUSTRY, WE CAN GET THEM AT A REASONABLE COST FOR USING MICROCONTROLLERS USED IN THE CELL PHONE INDUSTRY.

WE CAN GET THEM AT A REASONABLE COST.

HERE WE HAVE THE HYBRID LEG AND THE PLACENTA HERE.

KIND OF WE HAVE THE ELECTRONIC SPORTS DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE THAT'S THE KIND OF THE BRAINS OF THE SYSTEM WE HAVE QUITE A FEW CENTERS ON HERE.

THERE'S AND COLDER HERE TO TELL US THAT THE KNEE JOINT ABLE.

>> WE HAVE ANOTHER CENTER DOWN HERE, WHICH IS A LOAD CELL.

THE KIND OF TELL US WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOTORS, ELECTRONICS AND ROBOTICS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.

AND PEOPLE KIND OF KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THINGS, BUT GETTING IT TO WORK WELL, WITH THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND GETTING IT TO BE RELIABLE.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, EVERY STEP IS THAT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.

>> OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT THE MOMENT IS TO MAKE IT QUIETER.

AND SO THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A SIMPLE THING TO DO.

AND I'M SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE IT A BIT QUIETER USING THIS DESIGN.

BUT IN ORDER TO REALLY MAKE IT, A SILENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.

AND THAT'S THE ENGINEERING TEAM WORKING ON NOW.

EARLY PROSTHETICS OR A DEVICE THAT I GONE IN THE MORNING.

YOU KNOW, I HAD TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT.

THIS POWERED LEG IS PART OF ME.

I DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HAVE TO DON AT LAKE OF THE ANYTHING LIKE A PAIR OF PANTS.

I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.

IF FROM MY INTENTIONS, WHATEVER I WANT TO DO, IT'S THERE TO SUPPORT I'VE WORKED IN INDUSTRY AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NICE, IT'S NEXT TO MAKE PRODUCTS THAT, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE AND PEOPLE >> REALLY HELP PEOPLE.

A LOT OF PRODUCTS ARE JUST THEY'RE BAIT TO MAKE MONEY.

IT'S NICE HAVE SOMETHING THAT I COULD SEE IT HELPING SOMEONE.

THE BEST PART OF IT IS THE FACT THAT WE GET TO PUT ON A SUBJECT AND SEE THEM WALK ON IT AND ENJOY IT.

ENJOY SOMETHING WE'RE KIND OF OUT THAT THE CUSP OF THIS BIONIC LEG TECHNOLOGY KIND OF TRANSFORMING CLINICAL CARE.

YOU'RE SEEING A FEW PRODUCTS COME ONTO THE MARKET.

SOME USE SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY, SOME LEVERAGE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE HERE INTO THEIR OWN PRODUCTS.

AND WE THINK THAT WE HAVE A PASS PUSH THIS FURTHER.

YOU KNOW, A LEG LIKE THIS WILL CHANGE SOMEONE'S LIFE OVERNIGHT.

CERTAINLY INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY.

AND UP