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.
Schools
Rose students design device to help Rockville boy
- Schools
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Montgomery Meigs establishes Arlington National Cemetery
This week (June 15) in 1864, Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who had been appointed Quartermaster General of the Union Army in 1861, established Arlington House, the former home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, as a cemetery for the Union’s soldiers. Today Arlington National Cemetery is America’s national military burial ground.
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: This week in 1944: D-Day and the Airborne assault on Normandy
This week (June 5) in 1944, with the D-Day invasion of the Nazi-occupied Normandy coast set to begin, the man in charge of that invasion, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, paid a special visit to members of the U.S. 82nd and the 101st Airborne.
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Terre Haute North, South African-American clubs taking educational journey to Washington, D.C.
Students and teachers from Terre Haute North and South Vigo high schools saw three years of hard work pay off Monday afternoon as they lined up eagerly at the doors of a school bus to start a long ride to Washington, D.C.
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: A woman’s voice of moral clarity
This week (June 1) in 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, the Republican senator from Maine and the first woman ever to serve as both a U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives, gave a speech that, looking back, was a voice of moral clarity amidst a cacophony of madness and vilification.
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Education-technology grants given to Valley
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz has announced the 2013 Technology Resource Grants, awarded to help organizations purchase technology resources for student instruction in career and technical educations classrooms.
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Turkey Run presents academic awards
Turkey Run High School freshmen, sophomores and juniors were honored at an awards program on May 16.
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Goals, Pride & Achievements
Laci Pethtel of Oblong is the 2013 recipient of the Lincoln Trail College Professional Assistants Group scholarship.
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VCSC to offer summer meals
Sarah Scott Middle School will offer free breakfast and lunch for people 18 years old and younger Monday through June 20.
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Road Runners name scholarship winners
The Wabash Valley Road Runners have named Anne Mullican and Justin Clapp as the recipients of the 2013 WVRR scholarships.
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South student blazes competition with research
Ryan Chung, a junior at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, placed first at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in the computer science category.
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Indiana State University Dean’s List
Indiana State University has announced its dean’s list for the spring 2013 semester. Area students recognized for their academic achievement include:
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RP recognizes outstanding students
Riverton Parke High School’s class of 2013 was honored on May 15 at the annual senior awards night in the school’s cafetorium.
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Student blood donors receive scholarships
Roche Diagnostics and Indiana Blood Center are recognizing 81 high school seniors in Indiana who participate in community service.
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Bruce’s History Lessons: Morse’s telegraph and its impact as a ‘game changer’
This week (May 24) in 1844, Professor Samuel F.B. Morse sat in the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., surrounded by members of Congress, who had come to witness history.
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High schoolers attend automotive, welding skills competitions
Area high school students put their skills to the test at the annual Automotive Skills and Welding Skills competitions on April 18 at Ivy Tech Community College—Wabash Valley.
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Riverton Parke presents concert, music awards
The Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. High School Music Department presented its annual Spring Concert on May 13 in the school gymnasium.
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Turkey Run senior awards and honors
Turkey Run High School seniors were honored at an awards program May 13. Scholarships and departmental and activity awards were presented.
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South earns national yearbook design honor
The Terre Haute South yearbook, Uaxactun, has been recognized for excellence and featured in the 2013 Gotcha Covered Look Book, Volume 11 celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and coverage.
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Vincennes University Dean’s List
The Vincennes University Dean’s List for Spring 2013 includes students from the Vincennes campus, Jasper campus, Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis, military bases, and other extended sites.
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4 more honored as Four Star Schools
In addition to the three Vigo County schools (Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Dixie Bee Elementary and Fayette Elementary schools) that were announced earlier, four more Wabash Valley schools were recognized as Indiana Four Star Schools.
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Bruce’s history lessons: Truman’s decision to recognize Israel
This week (May 14) in 1948, at the direction of President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the existence of the newly formed state of Israel, which had declared independence earlier that day. It was, Truman later stated, among the most important decisions of his presidency.
- Reunion listings: May 16, 2013
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Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
The Chances and Services for Youth recently announced plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
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South Latin students compete at convention
Terre Haute South Vigo High School Latin students competed with other Indiana schools at the recent state convention at ISU.
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Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
Southwest Parke Community School Corp. has received an Imagining and Creating eLearning grant for the 2013-2014 school year through the Indiana Department of Education.
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Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
The Otter Creek Academic Super Bowl teams competed in the regional Academic Super Bowl competition on April 27 at Sarah Scott Middle School.
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Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
Two Riverton Parke FFA Parliamentary Procedure Teams competed at the section competition for the Parliamentary Procedure Demonstration Contest on April 16 at the Indiana FFA Center in Trafalgar.
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