Murr-ma | Amphibious Lower Leg Prosthetic

When we think lower leg prosthetics, we generally think about something to help people walk or run on the ground. Which is of course where we spend the vast majority of our time. But according to a recent U.N. report, over 44% of the world’s population lives within 150 kilometers (93 miles) of oceanic coasts. Which means we also like to spend a lot of time on the beach or in the water. Teams from the U.K. and Australia collaborated on a way to make the beaches accessible to more people. They focused on making an amphibious lower leg prosthetic called Murr-ma that can function on the sand and in the water. Credited designers are Julia Johnson, Thomas Essl, Yuki Machida and Damien Rocca.

Murr-ma Origins
According to Essl’s Vimeo video of Murr-ma, this is how the project came to be:

Murr-ma came to existence during a collaborative, interdisciplinary and international project called GoGlobal. Sponsored by Rio Tinto and carried out by the Royal College of Art, Imperial College London and the University of Technology Sydney, the latter one being the host institution, we spent four weeks in Australia working on this project. Now we can present you our prototypes, lots of background information

Get a Backbone
Murr-ma consists of four main parts to make it sand and water friendly. Holding everything together is a carbon fiber backbone that runs the length of the prosthetic. At the top of the backbone is the rim where Murr-ma attaches to the body. Flaring out the sides of the backbone are fins that help propel the wearer when swimming. At the bottom is the foot which is forked and shaped like a long “V”. This shape helps give a stable base on the sand like the foot of a camel or bird.

Sand and Sea
With Murr-ma, a wearer could easily transition from walking on the beach to wading into the surf and then swimming. The fins actually have the potential to give more thrust than someone with two legs. With few moveable parts, the prosthetic is durable potentially low maintenance.

Conclusion
Murr-ma is still very much in the development and prototype stage with hopes of being an actual product. The prosthetic has the potential to make going to the beach and ocean a more fulfilling experience. For more information on Murr-ma watch the video below and visit www.Murr-ma.com.

Murr-ma, the Amphibious Prosthetic from Thomas Essl on Vimeo.