Eco-Friendly Prosthetic Covers
IIT Researchers and Alkivio Craft Robotic Prostheses Covers
Kanesa D — March 10, 2026
The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and startup Alkivio will debut a prototype robotic cover for ankle and knee prostheses made from an environmentally responsible material at JEC World 2026, taking place March 10–12 at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.
The prototypes are part of Omnia, an advanced lower-limb prosthetic system designed for individuals with transfemoral amputations. Developed by the Rehab Technology Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology in collaboration with INAIL and coordinated by Matteo Laffranchi, the system includes a motorized knee (Unico) and ankle (Armonico).
For the exhibition, the lab replaced the standard plastic covers of the motorized knee (Unico) and ankle (Armonico) with 3D-printed AlkiPaper® biocomposites. Alkivio engineered these sustainable materials to meet the devices' mechanical and aesthetic requirements.
