The human body can be imagined as an infinitely complex machine with endless challenges when interacting with the world, requiring sensing, diagnosing, aiding, and augmentation.
FTL has worked with customers at the Defense Health Administration, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the US Navy, the National Science Foundation, private hospitals, and entrepreneurs to develop approaches addressing stroke, decompression sickness, hearing loss, concussion, gait, biomechanics, and other medical conditions.
Particular focuses at FTL include addressing issues associated with limb loss and prosthetics, as well as preventing injury by augmenting human actions with exoskeleton strength and reinforcement. FTL has developed systems for improved design, fitment, and analysis of prosthetic limb systems, working with DARPA, DEKA, and Mobius Bionics. Exoskeletons developed by FTL have been applied to prevent injury to parachutists and helicopter pilots. The links below provide some introduction to medical device programs completed and ongoing at FTL.
ExoJETS (Exoskeletal Jump Extenuating Thrust System), is a reusable cold-gas thrust system that reduces landing velocity of paratroopers performing Parachute Landing Falls, to mitigate injury. Lab tests and simulations showed over a 28% reduction of landing velocity in the heaviest paratrooper configuration using compressed atmospheric air.
PlaySurface and STEM Table are interactive learning platforms developed to promote STEM education through hands-on digital engagement. Designed for use in classrooms and museums, they combine touch-sensitive displays with educational software to enhance collaborative learning experiences.
Approximately 1.3 million active duty troops are regularly tested for hearing loss. FTL’s SonoLoop technology allows medical providers to easily and inexpensively provide this testing in mixed-use clinical settings with repeatable results.
About 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work each year. Employer instituted hearing conservation programs aim to protect personnel from developing hearing damage through hearing loss education, however, this does not ensure that personnel are properly wearing their provided Hearing Protective Device (HPD) on a daily basis.
SoundFit is an ultrasound tool that assists technicians fitting persons with amputation with prosthetic limbs by assessing fit quality. This tool measures relative bone motion to quantify the performance of mechanical energy transfer between the prosthetic limb and the user’s skeletal structure, guiding adjustments to the prosthetic socket geometry.
Sponsored by the Defense Health Agency, FTL’s SPARO (Sensorized Prosthetic Alignment Read-Out) provides clinicians and researchers a tool that enables quantitative measurements of prosthetic alignment and the effects it has on the rest of the body’s motions and dynamics through whole body gait and movement analysis.
VILA (Vest Integrated Load Assist) is an exoskeletal solution for reducing the weight of heavy flight vests of rotorcraft pilots. VILA helps to mitigate fatigue during flight as well as associated lower back injuries over time, while allowing the pilot to maintain full functionality while performing flight tasks.
This virtual reality platform was developed to simulate real-world environments for behavioral and social science research. It allows researchers to control variables and observe participant responses in immersive, repeatable scenarios for data-rich analysis.
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