District 9 Come Alive - The Tentacle [what we really want / Sci Fi]
Posted on April 28, 2010
WOW! Smooth adaptive grip, cylindrical and with a maximal grip surface, definitely controllable with a very strong spring and a lever that allows voluntary opening by cable. I want one of these and I want one now. District 9 showed us how the *bionic* version (remember what bionic all contains? don’t confuse it with relabelled electronics) looks like, but this FERO Gripper has it all.
Copyright (C) by manufacturer
Copyright (C) by FESTO
Filed Under "Bionic" prostheses, Prosthesis, Research, Science fiction | Leave a Comment
Artistic visions for prosthetic design XV - Red Arm II - High Tech
Posted on April 26, 2010
My previous practical experiments with the Red Hand concept have yielded some results that emerged as stable throughout:
- People positively loved red and reddish appearances of my arm and hand to death. Some screamed with joy, some immediately wanted to touch it or did touch it, and when I was not wearing it, they demanded that I wear it. This response was stable over more than about 10 months and affected children and adults alike. This reaction confirms published results of Cloerkes and a color theory by Rudolf Steiner.
- The same did never even once happen with a skin colored socket. With a skin colored hand, children and some adults reacted with visible distress. One guy sweated, one kid screamed, and other reactions were not as pronounced but negative as well. Yet I was also complimented in a distanced manner as to how neat the Regal prosthesis hand looked. This reaction confirms published results by Cloerkes.
- A clean or very clean appearance seemed to be paramount. Self-made appearances, worn down appearances and so on were not met with a lot of enthusiasm (even though I really like them). Surely people were intrigued by realistic or otherwise artsy appearances but it had to be a clean and well made prosthesis in order to yield positive acceptance. So here we have a difference between my and other people’s preference. The brushed down look was almost stressful to some. I found it extremely cool but it was stressful to some. And no one volunteered compliments for that type of design.
- I do not want a pre-defined look. So I don’t want my arm to resemble hardwood, a leopard print or any other clear well-known and established point of reference. Instead I want this to be free of such anchors but - similar to Jacques Monestier’s approach - some piece of loving art that invites to be examined rather than a piece of healthcare that must be stared at.
So for this round of new sockets (…my arm shrank…), I discussed material options in depth with my prosthetic technician. He then tried to work with my specifications and here is what came out of it.
Filed Under "Bionic" prostheses, Artwork and Do It yourself Corner, Becker Hand [Lock Grip, Imperial] {mechanical hand}, Becker Hand [Lock Grip, Imperial] {mechanical hand}, Brands, Prosthesis, Red Hand Series / Technical Design Series | Leave a Comment
Stigmatization and demonization IV - stares, upfront questions
Posted on April 26, 2010
Auch das von unbeherrschter Neugier geleitete Ansprechen behinderter Personen, verbunden mit taktlosen Fragen, gehört zu den Stigmaerfahrungen der Betroffenen, wenngleich es nicht ganz so verletzend sein dürfte wie Anstarren, da ja immerhin eine Kommunikationschance eröffnet wird. Die oben erwähnte Diskriminierung der Privatsphäre des Behinderten und seine Degradierung zum Objekt kennzeichnen auch diese Reaktionsform Nichtbehinderter. [Cloerkes]
Obviously, one gets at times viewed as some type of person that is interested in immediate questions or approaches. Visible disability does that.
People that ask such questions typically do that because they look at me or my arm more like an object than part of a person. That in itself also is regarded as discrimination.
But nevertheless, the really practical question is what to answer or how to react. Mostly, it is situation dependent. I am not really often in the mood to fill in complete strangers about stuff that is none of their business.
Also, if I get treated more like a curious object by you (including staring or upfront questions without any introduction), what makes you think you deserve to be treated any differently? See, I knew I could get your attention somehow :)
Filed Under Attitude, Disability and the public, Discrimination, Self help, Stigmatization, Support | Leave a Comment
Prosthetic industry language - amputee/media language - lies, lies, lies!
Posted on April 15, 2010
In prosthetic industry, language is often used in a wrong way. There are exaggerations as far as the eye reaches. Let us have a close look at what these exaggerations are. Secondly, amputees and media often use language in a similarly wrong way. Exaggerations as well.
Why all that drama?
Filed Under Disability and the public, Media, Prosthesis, Specifications and comparisons | Leave a Comment
Dean Kamen at TedMed 2009
Posted on April 7, 2010
So, interesting and captivating - but what a poor premise! And, what’s up with all jeans, can’t he wear proper clothes - let m guess: is he, maybe, an INVENTOR? But the astounding frequency of usage of the word ‘astounding’ confirms that here, we get feelings, emotions, all riled up on a wooden stick. In reality, stress levels do build up, and prosthetic arms need to perform. They really do.
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