LETU student team places third in national competition

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University engineering students won third place in the annual Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Student Design Challenge in biomedical engineering. The student team and faculty sponsor presented their design at the annual RESNA convention that was held virtually in September due to COVID-19 restrictions.

According to a news release from LETU, the award-winning submission addresses problems with prosthetic knees on the market today and their inability to provide adequate stability, their lack of knee biomechanics, and their cost. The design, called the PERK knee, incorporates mechanisms and control systems in a more affordable high function knee joint, according to the release. LETU officials say the annual competition showcases creative and innovative assistive technology designs that help people with disabilities function more independently.