Posted by Merrin
Rod Furlan has posted a challenge for someone to create a complete design for high-performance prosthetic legs that will last for at least five years and cost less than $1,000 to build. $100 has been pledged to the successful designer.
The CEO of Quarternix Research Inc. in Vancouver, Rod devotes his life to solving complicated problems and building “wondrous things that inspire and drive change.” He describes himself as being “humbled by the elegant complexity of the universe we live in” every day, and now he is seeking an elegant solution to the problems with existing prosthetic models, which are expensive and last only three to four years.
In addition to cost and durability requirements, the legs must allow users to stand still, jog, and sprint unassisted, and the transitions must be automatic. It is not a requirement, however, that they look like natural legs, so designers are encouraged to be creative!
Dec 19