3D-Technologies for Prosthetic Applications

Catalog description

3D-technologies offer exciting potential to address the needs of individuals with amputations across the globe. Developing solutions to complex real-world problems requires the cooperative expertise of several disciplines. Students will get hands-on experience with 3D-printers, scanners and software, and discover strategies for applying their academic skills within an interdisciplinary environment. Person-centered design, medical device policy, mechanical properties of materials and life cycle analyses will be examined. Physiological challenges of fitting devices that interface with the body and the benefits and dangers of open-source designs will be explored. Critical thinking will be applied to determine what makes a prosthetic “better” or “worse” within complex environmental and cultural contexts. Psychological ramifications of limb loss and the meaning of wearing a prosthetic will be considered. At what point does it cease to be a device and begin to become a part of the individual?