News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Schools

September 12, 2012

Rose students design device to help Rockville boy

TERRE HAUTE — Daniel Wilson is like any other 8-year-old — curious, fun-loving and is a fan of dinosaurs. However, a longitudinal deficiency from birth severely limits the use of his right arm. This made it hard for him to swing a bat, ride a bike or swing across the monkey bars on his school playground.

Most of these things are now possible through a specially designed prosthetic device by recent Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology biomedical engineering graduates Mark Calhoun and Jacob Price.

They used state-of-the-art computer-aided design and engineering  software (developed by Siemens) to create the device that utilizes seven subsystems to make Daniel’s life easier.

Siemens learned about the project and contacted two renowned filmmakers to make a mini-documentary for the global company’s “answers” campaign about real people being impacted by Siemens technology. It has become an Internet sensation, attracting viewers from throughout the world since its release last month.

View the video at www.siemens.com/entry/cc/en.

“Daniel is an awesome kid, the Wilsons are an awesome family and I could not be more grateful with being given this opportunity,” says Price, a Terre Haute native who has started his engineering career in Indianapolis.

“I’ll never forget seeing Daniel engaging in the meetings, seeing the pictures of him wearing his prosthetic weeks after we delivered it, and watching him use it to pick up toys and scratch his mom’s back,” Price said. “There’s no better feeling than that of making a difference in someone’s life.”

Calhoun, now a biomedical engineering graduate school at Ohio State University, adds: “Taking the prosthetic from the drawing board to fruition was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. Through all the highs and lows of a tough project like this one, you find something out about yourself. I found that I truly enjoyed overcoming adversity in order to create something truly special.”

He continues, “There were a few times during the process where it seemed like there just wasn’t enough time to finish it. On a Friday evening, one of our last few days to work on the project, we made one final push and got it finished. It wasn’t until we arrived at Daniel’s house a couple days later when we realized what we had just done. We had gone beyond all expectations and created something to truly improve someone’s quality of life. I believe that’s something truly special, and I take a tremendous amount of pride in that.”

Daniel has given the prosthesis an affectionate nickname, “Pinchy,” because of its two finger-like extensions that he uses to grasp objects. He cherishes the device, not wanting to break it, says his mother, Emily.

“The impact that this project has had on Daniel’s life can’t really be described in words,” she says. “The relationship that blossomed with Jacob, Mark and our whole family has affected us all. Daniel loves Mark and Jacob, and really looks up to them. Daniel is so proud that he was able to be involved in every aspect of the design process. I think that really helped boost his self-confidence. I hope that from this experience Daniel will grow up and do something like this for someone else.”

The device was one of 12 biomedical engineering senior-year capstone projects completed in 2011-12, under the supervision of professors Kay C Dee, Ph.D, Glen Livesay, Ph.D., and Renee Rogge, Ph.D. Other devices constructed included a custom-design walker for a kindergarten student, a vest-like device that corrects proprioception dysfunction and severely-slouched shoulders for children, a lightweight brace that corrects ankle pronation and an insole device that measures and redistributes the stresses on an athlete’s foot.

“Real projects for real clients help our students make real connections to what they can do with engineering,” states Livesay. “The team that worked with Daniel really exemplifies what we’re striving for in design: creative solutions and lots of hard work that enable our students to have a strong, positive impact on the lives of people in our community.”

Dee adds, “Design projects let our students use all of the skills in their ‘toolbox’: professionalism, creativity, technical knowledge, interpersonal communication skills, independent time management skills, hands-on building and technical documentation skills. These are incredible learning opportunities for our students.”

Siemens PLM Software provided Rose-Hulman a $27.8 million in-kind software grant last year to provide students with the latest advanced hands-on training tools to lead the next generation of engineers for innovative, high-tech careers. The software is being used by students to develop cutting-edge technology in classrooms, laboratories and advanced transportation competition teams.

“At Rose-Hulman, students work with the latest software and simulation programs from Siemens PLM Software to create a lot of exciting projects,” states Bill Boswell, senior director of partner strategy for Siemens PLM Software.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Schools
Latest News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
AP Video
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles Tiger on Sergio: 'It's Time to Move On' Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8 3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter Raw: NASCAR Driver Jason Leffler Dies in Wreck Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29 Failed Cuba-to-Florida Swimmer Won't Try Again Today in History June 19 Obama: Friction in Afghan Talks No Surprise Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
NDN Video
Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions Exclusive: Locklear & Seymour Lock Lips Miami Heat Wins in Overtime Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles Fists, chairs fly in restaurant brawl Journalist Michael Hastings Dies in Fiery Hollywood Crash Hairy Leg Stockings Aim to Deflect Male Attention Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent' WATCH IT: Lil Wayne tramples American flag Mariah Carey Looks Beautiful in a Tiny Cut-Out Swimsuit Out of Control Boat Throws Passengers Overboard
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News