How do people react when they see someone running on blades fast – like really, really fast? Johannes Floors is a German Paralympic sprinter and double below-knee amputee who competes using high-performance prosthetic blades. He has won multiple gold medals at World Championships and Paralympic Games, including in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris. He is also a trained orthopaedic technician, works on his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is part in Ottobock’s Research & Development department, where he contributes to advancing prosthetic technologies.

In this episode of Taste of Bionics, he talks to Ranga about what led to his decision to amputate both legs below the knees and how it changed his life, and he takes us on his journey on becoming a world class athlete.

Tune in to discover how technology, resilience, and curiosity can redefine what it means to be human and why Ottobock is at the forefront of enabling that future.

Find out more about Ottobock: https://corporate.ottobock.com/en/home

Every guest is our host Ranga’s favourite guest, of course – but this conversation in particular has him on the edge of his seat: Hugh Herr is a professor at the MIT Media Lab, where he leads the Biomechatronics Group and co-directs the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics. But first of all, he is known for transferring the whole field: After losing both legs in a climbing accident in 1982, Hugh turned personal adversity into scientific innovation.

In this episode of Taste of Bionics, he talks to Ranga about developing advanced prosthetic limbs that integrate with the human nervous system, restoring mobility and enhancing physical capabilities. How do bionic limbs work? What about the future of human-machine interfaces? And what are the challenges in translating lab research to real-world applications?

Tune in to discover how technology, resilience, and curiosity can redefine what it means to be human and why Ottobock is at the forefront of enabling that future.

Find out more about Ottobock: https://corporate.ottobock.com/en/home

There are tears everyday due to a new spinal cord therapy, shed by everyone involved. But why is that?

In this episode of Taste of Bionics, host Ranga Yogeshwar speaks with Dave Marver. He’s the CEO of ONWARD Medical, which is developing breakthrough therapies for people with spinal cord injury. Under Dave’s leadership, ONWARD has earned ten FDA Breakthrough Device Designations. Its first product was named one of TIME magazine’s Best Inventions and recognized among Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas for its potential to transform lives.

Together, Dave and Ranga explore dramatic new treatments for spinal cord injuries that are helping patients regain movement, function and independence.

Tune in to discover how technology, resilience, and curiosity can redefine what it means to be human.

Find out more about Ottobock: https://corporate.ottobock.com/en/home

Coming home from a hard day’s work and still feeling fresh? That is not just a far-out fantasy anymore. In this episode of Taste of Bionics, host Ranga Yogeshwar speaks with Minerva Pillai. She’s a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a Co-founders of SUITX – a startup spun out of UC Berkeley’s Human Engineering & Robotics Lab. Today she is Head of Development in North America for SUITX BY OTTOBOCK, a market leader in industrial exoskeletons that are designed to reduce workplace strain and injuries. Minerva shares her insights as a key driver in translating innovations from academic research into market-ready applications.

What does it take to reinvent yourself after a life-changing accident? In this episode of Taste of Bionics, host Ranga Yogeshwar speaks with John McFall. A paralympic medalist, trauma and orthopedic surgeon and a member of ESA's astronaut reserve taking part in ESA’s “Fly! Project”. Fly! aims to explore whether an astronaut with a physical disability could embark on a long duration mission to the International Space Station and with that to make space missions accessible for all. John shares his extraordinary journey: from losing his leg in a motorcycle accident to becoming one of the fastest sprinters in the world on running blades, to practicing medicine and now training for space exploration with ESA’s Fly! Project.

Together, they explore how prosthetic innovation powered John’s remarkable comeback as an elite athlete, why inclusion in science, sports and even space will shape the future and how advanced technologies are redefining human potential. At its core, the conversation is about what life without limits on earth and far beyond can look like.

Tune in to discover how technology, resilience, and curiosity can redefine what it means to be human and why Ottobock is at the forefront of enabling that future.

Editorial note: In the intro, John McFall is referred to as the first astronaut with a prosthetic limb. He is, however, the first person with a physical disability to receive the medical mission ready status to potentially go on a long-duration mission to the International Space Station.

Find out more about Ottobock: https://corporate.ottobock.com/en/home

Taste of Bionics is a podcast hosted by renowned science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, diving deep into the intersection of humans and technology. In each episode, guests will discuss cutting-edge topics at the interface between people and technology. They include the very latest prosthetics, exoskeletons, neural interfaces, human-machine interaction, artificial intelligence and innovations in medical technology designed to improve lives.

From the emotional reality of limb loss to the design of bionic systems that can operate in space, this podcast goes beyond buzzwords. This podcast is offering real insight into how innovation is redefining movement, identity and what it means to be human. For anyone interested in the future of mobility and the science of human enhancement.

Join us every other Tuesday. Follow now and never miss an episode.

Produced by Podstars by OMR.