Independent Study Proposal

Independent Study Proposal

Applying the Principles of Biomedical Engineering to Identify Limitations of  Physical Activity with Prosthetics and Engineering a Viable Solution 

Ela Savas and Neta Ariely 

Proposal

Our names are Ela Savas and Neta Ariely, and our independent study is called Applying the Principles of Biomedical Engineering to Identify Limitations of  Physical Activity with Prosthetics and Engineer a Viable Solution. We were both interested in biomedical engineering and prosthetics, and decided to collaborate on a project to design a solution to one of the biggest problems facing prosthetic users: limitations in being able to stay active and fit. During our initial research, we discovered that currently, the only people with prosthetics that have accessibility to exercise are those who are very serious about being physically active and those who are able to afford expensive prosthetics and devices. For the general public, casual exercise is difficult. The side effects of not exercising include obesity, hypertension and ischemic heart disease or clogged cardiac arteries. During our research if the proposal is approved, we would like to find out why it is hard for the general public: is it because of the extra weight a prosthetic entails, is it because of less joint flexibility, etc. Once we find out why this is happening, we would like to engineer a solution. We want to try to prevent these preventable diseases by making exercise more accessible. In other words, our driving questions are: What is the best way to make exercise accessible and welcoming to people with prosthetics? How can we further identify limitations to accessing exercise opportunities in order to define our problem and success criteria which will shape our engineering solution? How can we apply principles of frugal engineering to make the solution more available to a broader population?

By doing so, we also need to make our solution more affordable, and frugal innovation will allow us to do this. Our ultimate goal is to design something cheap, easy to use, and accessible to everyone. In order to do this, we will have to do a deeper dive into biomechatronics, a technology that combines biology, mechanical engineering, electronics and mechanics in order to research, engineer and design devices that can be used to compensate, imitate  and replace human physiological functions, like prosthetics or artificial organs. Because of this, it encompasses fields such as neuroscience and robotics. The technology has brought tons of different possibilities because biomechatronic devices are capable of replacing the functions of human organs and limbs. Biomechatronics meaning    

Preliminary list of resources and activities:

• BMES 

​​Bmes.org. 2021. BMES. [online] Available at: <https://www.bmes.org/content.asp?contentid=140 > [Accessed 2 December 2021]. 

• Biomechatronics – Assisting the Impaired Motor System 

Veltink, P.H., et al. “Biomechatronics – Assisting the Impaired Motor System.” Taylor & Francis, 3 Oct. 2008, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1076/apab.109.1.1.4282. 

• Guest Editorial An Overview of Biomedical Robotics and Bio-Mechatronics Systems and Applications 

Z. Li, C. Yang and E. Burdet, “Guest Editorial An Overview of Biomedical Robotics and Bio-Mechatronics Systems and Applications,” in IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, vol. 46, no. 7, pp. 869-874, July 2016, doi: 10.1109/TSMC.2016.2571786.

• Guest Editorial An Overview of Biomedical Robotics and Bio-Mechatronics Systems and Applications 

Balf, Todd, et al. “The Biomechatronic Man.” Outside Online, 30 June 2021, https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/tools/biomechatronic-man/. 

• https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.551.4255&rep=rep1&type=pdf 

Strait, Erin. “Prosthetics in Developing Countries” 

Insight of experts in the field, such as professors at Duke (ex: Daniel Reker, Ashutosh Chilkoti, and Roger W Nightingale) and people affected by the problem (we have contacted Mr. Adair about this because of his connections to veterans as a starting point). 

3-5 broad learning objectives for the class:

• What will you know when you’re done with the independent study?
  1. How prosthetics work, the physical limitations of them, and engineering a viable solution
• What will you be able to do when you’re done with the independent study?
  1. We will have made exercise more accessible to those with prothstetics

• What will the class format be?
  1. Research, interviews, designing and engineering
• Will you have a set period during the school day to work on it?
  1. We will work on this project during E period every day 1
• How often will you meet with your adviser?
  1. Every other Day 1 during E period and tutorials as needed

How will you work towards the above objectives?

• What materials will you read?
  1. Research and medical journals/articles/consensus data/statistics 
  2. Parts of preliminary research : 

• There are various sub-categories of biomedical engineering, including types such as biomechatronics and biomedical electronics. 
• “Biomechatronics concerns the interdisciplinary field of interaction with the human neuromuscular-skeletal system with the objective to assist impaired human motor control” (Veltink). 
• “The research on biomedical robotics and bio-mechatronics covers a diverse spectrum of rapid rising interdisciplinary areas including bio-inspired robots for industrial, military, medical, and rehabilitation applications” (Li).
• “Then 17, Herr was told he’d never climb again. Instead, he rebuilt himself almost immediately, willfully reshaping his artificial legs and realizing that he wasn’t handicapped, ‘the technology was’” (Balf).
  • There are ways to build someone back up again to where they were originally at before circumstances changed.
    • For example, the same thing can happen with building prosthetics for individuals who are normally active and exercise, but feel as though they are limited due to not having a leg or arm. 
    • What will your final project be?
      •  A prototype of a device that makes exercise accessible and affordable 

 CALENDAR/COURSE PLAN