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

which could limit the use of rubber bands. The life specified should be at least 3 years or
10,800 cycles (360 working days a year with 10 cycles per day).
6. Unit weightU: A typical split-hook terminal device plus forearm section weighs about 2
pounds. Since this project is concerned with enhancing functionality, some extra amount
of weight will likely be incurred by the modifications. Our maximum weight is to stay
under 5 pounds (approximately the weight of an average adult forearm and hand). The
customer has added that extra weight will not act as a hindrance. The internally located
mechanical advantage system will instead increase the strength of his currently hollow
forearm section.
4.0 External Search
The Disability Act of 1990 was monumental in creating equal opportunities for people with
disabilities. Though this act has made significant progress, only 25% of people between the ages
of 16 to 64 (commonly considered as the working age demographic) with disabilities are
employed. Of the remaining 75%, two-thirds of them wish they were employed (Health
Progress, May/June, 2000).
Our research began by getting in contact with the Athens County Bureau of Vocational
Rehabilitation (BVR). The BVR is a branch of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
(ORSC) which is a state agency that is annually responsible for vocational rehabilitation of
55,000 Ohioan’s with disabilities. On average in a single year, the RSC aids 8,000 Ohioans with
disabilities into obtaining and retaining a job. Since 1990, the agency has assisted nearly
100,000 citizens of Ohio with disabilities. The Athens County BVR provides rehabilitation
services in ten counties of Ohio to individuals whose primary impairments range from physical,
to emotional, and to mental. Many of their clients have orthopedic and mental health issues, and
on average, there are 850 to 1,000 active customers with a variety of disabilities.
Our main contact at the BVR was George Platounaris. George is the rehabilitation vocational
supervisor at the BVR with over 30 years of experience. Upon meeting with him for the first
time on October 10 th 2007, (see Appendix B for details) George was able to reference us to two
rehabilitation design engineers who work in the field and mentioned he could be a contact point
for information from those two individuals as well as help us obtain a potential customer.
George extended the invitation to attend weekly meetings at BVR where feedback from industry
professionals could be obtained.
Contact with George lead to a phone interview (conducted later that same day) with
rehabilitation industrial designer Mark Ficocelli (see Appendix B for details) who works on
special projects for the BVR. Mark emphasized the fact that most of his work is done as a oneon-one
interaction with a specific customer. He emphasized that each person required a different
solution and that it is very difficult to create an adaptable solution. One area that he suggested
we pursue is the field of prosthetic attachments, and referenced a recent case where he had
worked with a farmer to create an attachment that could hold different sized wrenches.
The solution to this problem resulted in the farmer with a type of hook-hand that could be pulled
open by flexing the muscles of the back. Mark suggested buying burlap feed sack and
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