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This Flexible Bionic Foot Adapts Like a Real Human Foot For Prosthetics & Help Robots Walk Like Humans

Scientists in Italy have developed a remarkable new prosthetic foot that could change the future of mobility for people with limb loss and improve the way humanoid robots move. Called SoftFoot Pro, the motorless, flexible, and waterproof bionic foot has been designed to closely imitate the structure and movement of the human foot.

Developed by researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT–Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa, SoftFoot Pro is designed to move naturally, adapt to uneven surfaces, and help users maintain balance on challenging terrain. Its innovative technology could also be used in the humanoid robots of the future.

Unlike many conventional prosthetic feet, SoftFoot Pro does not rely on motors or complex electronic systems to adjust its shape. Instead, it uses a flexible mechanical design inspired by the natural anatomy of the human foot. Several of its technological solutions have already received two international patents, while a third patent is currently being evaluated by the European Patent Office.

Designed to Adapt Like a Human Foot

Traditional prosthetic feet and many modern humanoid robots often have flat or relatively rigid feet. These designs provide stability on smooth surfaces but can struggle when the ground becomes uneven, sloped, slippery, or filled with obstacles.

“Prostheses and today's humanoid robots have in common the characteristic of having flat or low-compliant feet, developed to ensure maximum stability but incapable of adapting to changes in terrain contour, slope, and different positions such as kneeling or bending,” explains Manuel G. Catalano, a researcher at IIT’s Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation Lab.

The IIT research team, working with the Centro E. Piaggio of the University of Pisa, wanted to create a different kind of artificial foot—one that could behave more like a natural human foot.

The result is SoftFoot Pro, a lightweight structure weighing approximately 450 grams that can support loads of up to 100 kilograms.

A Mechanical Design Inspired by Human Anatomy

The design of SoftFoot Pro is based on the complex architecture of the human foot. The prototype includes a mobile arch mechanism made from titanium or aeronautical-grade aluminum alloy. Its two ends are connected by five strong plastic chains arranged in parallel.

These chains imitate the function of the plantar fascia, a strong tissue structure that supports the arch of the human foot. A mechanically inextensible, high-performance cable measuring approximately 210 millimeters runs through the chains and connects to the heel.

Each chain contains multiple modules made from high-strength plastic materials derived from technologies used in the automotive industry. These modules are connected by pairs of elastic elements, allowing the foot to flex and adapt to different conditions.

Together, the arch and elastic chains replicate the structure of the human tarsus, metatarsus, and phalanges—the bones and sections that help the natural foot absorb impact, maintain balance, and push the body forward.

Mimicking the Natural “Windlass” Mechanism

One of the most important features of SoftFoot Pro is its ability to reproduce the human foot’s windlass mechanism.

During walking, the plantar fascia gradually becomes tighter as the foot moves through the step. This helps stiffen the foot and distribute forces across the sole. The process is essential for efficient walking and forward movement.

SoftFoot Pro recreates this action mechanically. As the foot interacts with the ground, its structure progressively stiffens and helps distribute pressure more evenly.

This can help the user overcome small obstacles more efficiently, improve forward propulsion, and reduce energy loss during the final stage of a step. At the same time, the flexible sole can absorb approximately 10% to 50% of the impact created when the foot contacts the ground.

This combination of flexibility and mechanical support could make walking feel more natural and comfortable.

A Prosthetic Foot That Adapts to Uneven Ground

One of the biggest advantages of SoftFoot Pro is that its sole can change shape.

Unlike rigid prosthetic feet, the SoftFoot Pro can deform to match the shape and roughness of the surface beneath it. Whether the user is walking on uneven ground, dealing with small obstacles, or moving across a sloped surface, the foot can adapt instead of remaining fixed in one position.

This flexibility may improve balance, reduce instability, and create a more natural walking experience.

The technology could be especially useful in outdoor environments. Because SoftFoot Pro is waterproof, it can potentially be used on surfaces such as grass, beaches, and slippery terrain. Users may not need to change to different prosthetic devices simply because they are moving from one type of environment to another.

Making Everyday Movements Easier

The human foot does much more than simply support body weight during walking. It constantly changes position when a person bends, kneels, climbs stairs, or reaches down.

SoftFoot Pro is designed to reproduce many of these natural positions. This could make simple everyday activities easier, including bending down to tie a shoe or picking up an object from the ground.

The flexible design may also improve movement on stairs, where traditional rigid prosthetic systems can sometimes make balance and foot placement more difficult.

In this way, the prototype is not simply designed to imitate the appearance of a human foot. It attempts to reproduce some of the foot’s natural mechanical intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence Without Traditional Electronics

Interestingly, SoftFoot Pro demonstrates a form of artificial intelligence through its physical design.

The foot does not need a motor or complicated computer system to constantly calculate how it should respond to every uneven surface. Its mechanical structure naturally reacts to the environment.

When the ground changes, the flexible components adapt. When pressure is applied, the structure responds. When the user changes position, the foot can deform accordingly.

This concept, sometimes described as intelligence built into the body of a machine, could become increasingly important in future robotics. Instead of depending entirely on sensors, processors, motors, and batteries, robots could use smart mechanical systems that automatically respond to their surroundings.

Tested on Humans and Advanced Robots

SoftFoot Pro has already been tested in several international collaborations. Different prototypes have been evaluated by people with unilateral lower-limb amputations as part of European research projects, including the Natural Bionics project.

The artificial foot has also been tested in robotics. Researchers successfully used it with the quadruped robot ANYmal at ETH Zurich and with the humanoid robot HRP-4 at laboratories of the University of Tokyo.

These tests highlight the technology’s potential beyond prosthetics. A flexible foot could help future robots walk more naturally on complex surfaces, maintain balance, and perform movements that are difficult with rigid feet.

Presented to the World

SoftFoot Pro was publicly showcased during the G7 Health track technical event titled “Life-long prevention for healthy and active aging” in Genoa. The event was organized by the Italian Ministry of Health in collaboration with IIT.

The event focused on the importance of preventing premature death and disability throughout life, as well as the role of innovation in supporting healthy and active aging.

Before its public exhibition, the technology had also been presented to the scientific community at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2024) in Yokohama, Japan.

A Step Toward More Natural Mobility

SoftFoot Pro represents an important shift in the development of prosthetic technology. Instead of making artificial limbs increasingly rigid and mechanically complex, researchers are exploring how flexibility and natural movement can provide better performance.

By combining lightweight materials, elastic structures, mechanical intelligence, and a design inspired by human anatomy, the SoftFoot Pro could help people with limb loss move more comfortably across a wider range of environments.

At the same time, its potential use in quadruped and humanoid robots could help machines become more adaptable and capable of moving across the unpredictable surfaces found in the real world.

The technology is still a prototype and further development and testing will be needed before it becomes widely available. However, SoftFoot Pro offers a powerful vision of the future: a prosthetic foot that does not simply replace a missing body part, but works more naturally with the human body.

And for robotics, it suggests an exciting possibility—that the key to helping machines walk better may be found not in adding more motors and electronics, but in learning from the remarkable mechanical intelligence already built into the human foot.

Reference: Pace, A., Dimitrov, H., Jakubowitz, E. et al. The SoftFoot Pro: an anthropomorphic and adaptive soft articulated prosthetic foot. Nat Commun 17, 1459 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68194-2

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