LegUp Prosthetics
The Challenge
For individuals with limb loss, the comfort, fit, and functionality of a prosthesis are essential to mobility and quality of life. Traditional prosthetic components can be expensive, difficult to customize, and uncomfortable as users' needs change. These barriers are especially significant in low-resource settings, where access to prosthetic and orthotic care, specialized fitting services, and replacement components may be limited.
Our Solution
LegUp Prosthetics is a student-led initiative developing affordable, user-centered prosthetic and orthotic technologies. We aim to make assistive devices more accessible, adaptable, and functional by exploring new approaches to prosthetic design, comfort, performance, and fit.
Our work spans five projects focused on thermoelectric cooling, energy-return prosthetic pylons, variable-stiffness feet, sweat management within prosthetic sockets, and orthotic innovation. By combining engineering research, prototyping, and user feedback, we aim to develop practical solutions that address the needs of prosthesis and orthosis users, particularly in resource-limited settings
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Current Goals
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Investigate cooling and sweat-management strategies to improve comfort, health, and durability.
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Explore energy-return and variable-stiffness designs to improve prosthetic performance.
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Research and develop orthotic solutions based on user needs and existing evidence.
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Establish repeatable, affordable manufacturing and testing processes.
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Engage prosthesis and orthosis users to guide design decisions and validate our solutions.
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Identify opportunities for clinical feedback, partnerships, and real-world implementation.
What We've Accomplished
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Researched and developed an adjustable transtibial prosthetic socket system.
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Designed a preliminary prosthetic foot and pylon assembly.
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Investigated materials and fabrication methods for affordable prosthetic components.
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Built a load-testing setup to evaluate the mechanical performance of prosthetic components.
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Expanded our work to five projects addressing prosthetic comfort, performance, adaptability, skin health, and orthotic needs.
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Earned 3rd place and the Best Idea for Addressing Health Access and Disparities award at the 2026 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge.
2026
LegUp at the Holloman Health Innovation Challenge
LegUp GUI Prototype
Proposed Workflow
Key Problem
Meet the Team
Alumni
Sahana Subramanian
Bioengineering & Biochemistry
2022-2026
Max Kobiesa
Bioengineering & Biochemistry
2022-2026
Sahana Sateesh
Bioengineering: Nano & Molecular Engineering
2022-2026
