The new material, “Roliner,” offers amputees the power to change the shape, volume, and stiffness of the liner that is used to attach a prosthetic limb’s socket to a residual leg. Amputees could make these tweaks using their smartphone in real-time, providing a more comfortable and personalized fit.

After eight years of prototype development and clinical investigation, researchers at the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London have published the details of their patented new material in Nature Communications.

Principal Investigator Dr. Firat Guder, from the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London, said, “Prosthetic limbs are often uncomfortable because they have a fixed rigid shape. Even though this shape can be molded to fit the individual’s body as it is at the time of fitting, it cannot adapt responsively to how our bodies change.