Roliner offers personalised fit for amputees

The AI-powered liner adapts to changes in body shape, enhancing comfort and reducing the risk of sores.

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.

In a statement, principal investigator Dr Firat Guder said: “Prosthetic limbs are often uncomfortable because they have a fixed rigid shape. Even though this shape can be moulded to fit the individual’s body as it is at the time of fitting, it cannot adapt responsively to how our bodies change. Ultimately, no matter how sophisticated the limb itself is, if it cannot connect closely and comfortably with the human body, it becomes unwearable.

“Up until now, researchers have tried and failed to solve this problem by trying to improve the limbs and sockets themselves. But we took a different approach by developing a dynamically adaptive interface for the liners used between the body and the rigid prosthetic socket.”

Dr Uğur Tanriverdi, an Imperial graduate and co-founder of the wearable robotics company Unhindr that produces Roliner, said: “Badly fitting prosthetic limbs are a constant struggle for amputees. They increase the risk of blisters and sores that can become infected, and the situation can become so painful that there is no choice but to go back to using a wheelchair.”

The team said Roliner, which is made from silicone elastomers with channels that can be pressurised to change the material’s properties, can incorporate artificial intelligence so each liner can learn the personal preferences of their amputee. It can automatically adjust its properties according to how the human body changes in response to variables such as the time of day, weight loss or gain, and hormonal fluctuations. An amputee’s desired fit may also change due to the type of activity being undertaken.

The team added that these adjustments can be made by the wearer using their smartphone in real-time.

Guglielmo Senesi, the Imperial engineer building Roliner’s electronics and clinical data architecture, and the CTO at Unhindr, said: "Currently, most prosthetists still rely on plaster casting and moulding techniques that have been used for centuries to determine what socket shape and size will give the most personalised fit. Roliner’s data-driven approach standardises the quality of prosthetic fittings.”

Tarek Asfour, an Imperial master’s graduate and Chief Operating Officer of Unhindr, said: “Roliner marks the shift from rigid mechanics to soft, adaptive robotics, proving that the future of prosthetics isn’t just about movement – it's about seamless human integration.”