Conor Walsh named one of MIT Technology Review’s ‘Innovators Under 35’

Conor Walsh, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Core Faculty member at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, has been recognized as one of the world’s top innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review. 

The list honors exceptionally talented technologists whose work has potential to transform the world. Walsh was chosen for his field-leading research in biotechnology and medicine, specifically his development of soft, wearable robotic systems.

Among his projects is a soft exosuit that mimics and complements the action of leg muscles and tendons. The device, made from innovative textiles, is designed to help soldiers walk long distances with heavy loads and to help stroke victims regain mobility. Walsh and his team - in collaboration with Robert J. Wood, the SEAS Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences and a Wyss Core Faculty member, and George Whitesides, a Wyss Core Faculty member and the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard University - are also developing a soft robotic glove that mimics how the human hand contracts, extends, bends, and twists, to help in rehabilitation or provide a person with disabilities assistance in daily life.

“Our motivation for working on soft wearable robots is that we believe that significant functional improvements can be attained when delivering small to moderate levels of assistance with lightweight, flexible and non-restrictive devices,” Walsh said. “Such systems will be most suitable for enhancing the ability of healthy individuals or patients with only partial impairments. Most exciting is that this technology will hopefully be suitable for use outside of a clinical environment, thus extending care to the home or community.” 

Walsh joins a prestigious group of past honorees, including SEAS and Wyss colleague Robert Wood; former SEAS student and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin; SEAS colleague Donhee Ham, who is the Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and of Applied Physics and former Wyss Postdoctoral Fellow Megan McCain, PhD’12, who is now Assistant Professor at University of Southern California.

“Over the years, we’ve had success in choosing young innovators whose work has been profoundly influential on the direction of human affairs,” said Jason Pontin, editor in chief and publisher of MIT Technology Review. “We’re proud of our selections and the variety of achievements they celebrate, and we’re proud to add Conor Walsh to this prestigious list.”

The honorees are featured on www.technologyreview.com, in the Sept/Oct print issue of MIT Technology Review, and will appear at the upcoming EmTech MIT conference November 2-4 in Cambridge, MA.