Meeting Time
Monday 3:05PM
Project description
In partnership with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, students will design, build, and test new prosthetics to aid people who are unable to afford expensive prosthetics ranging from $1500 to $2500. The project has numerous opportunities for deciding a specific type/function of prosthetic and will start with interviewing athletes who live active lifestyles. While insurance pays for the first prosthetic, they do not pay for additional prosthetics which can be challenging when people live an active lifestyle and need various versions for different tasks.
The project will work with Toyota Mobility Foundation to interview users and develop solutions. Connecting with the community partner gave the group insights into the problem, including a goal of accessibility in large retail stores. However, the group struggled to connect with an end user or prosthetist. Instead, research was done on existing prosthetic models specific for hiking, the chosen sport, and how these might be made simpler or cheaper.
Based on this, it was decided that the group’s focus would be on 3D printing, and deciding which combination of filament and foot design can produce the best traction. Through Fusion, 3D models of exploratory ideas were designed, based on the dimensions of a shoe.