Prosthetic Arm Force Reducer Team 1 – Halliday's ... - Ohio University

Appendix B – Interview Summaries
Mark Ficocelli - Phone Interview (9:30AM – 10:30AM) Oct. 10 th 2007
• Is an industrial designer that does a lot of private consulting and contract work in
conjunction with the BVR (Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation).
• Much of his work is found through places like the BVR and from word-of-mouth and is
almost always with one specific case at a time.
• Much of his design is mechanical that focuses on a specific need for a person with a
disability.
• He suggested looking into upper extremities prosthetic devices (hook hand) and
considered that to be the best mass marketable idea.
• He mentioned a recent case that involved a farmer who had recently lost his hand and he
needed a way the hold different sized box wrenches. With his hook-hand prosthetic he
was unable to keep a firm grip on the heavy wrenches. Much of the solution to this
problem involved adding more rubber bands to the hooks hinge joint and using a thicker
cable that ran from his prosthetic to a back brace, He was able to open and close the hook
by simply flexing his back muscles.
• One suggestion he mentioned for that type of project would be to buy a burlap feedbag
and see if the prosthetic could open and hold a bag. He suggested 60lbs of closing
pressure.
• One item he stressed was to modify the man not the machine he uses. It is much more
sensible to make a universal adaptor on a prosthetic for picking up different sized objects
rather than making jigs or different attachments for each size.
• Another item he stressed was to focus of a specific function. Much of his design is
custom for the person and specific for their particular disability. It is very difficult to
create a universal device to help a lot of people because there is such a wide range of
unique disabilities.
• Another idea was to put yourself into the disabled person’s position and see what
difficulties you find. He suggested riding around in a wheelchair all day around campus
or blindfolding yourself and try to navigate a building. This might help us spawn ideas.
• He mentioned that wheelchair design was very specific but very marketable. Also it
might help to visit a design office or firm to get a feel for a typical office space.
• Patent searching is for marketing but you should understand and know about it.
• Other ideas he mentioned was excursion amplifiers, back harnesses, page turners, devices
to help people get dressed and to feed themselves, home modifications, work site
ergonomics, rural and farming work, computer adaptation, weight distribution, body
position, and seating for people in to wheelchairs, and yes even one handed chainsaws.
• Sources and products he sited where the OQO (thumb board electric device) Premobile.
• One ADA standard he mentioned was a 1 to 12 slope for wheelchair ramps.
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