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Flotspotting

Wrap Your Head Around Kaylene Kau's Take On a Prosthetic Limb

By Kai Perez - November 27, 2012

Industrial Designers always seem to be tackling the issue of prosthetic limbs, there is good reason to. It is estimated that in the United States, there are approximately 1.7 million people living with limb loss. The difficulty in replicating the functions of the human arm and hand lay in the complex machinery required. Kaylene Kau, a recent graduate of the University of Washington for Industrial Design, came up with this concept. Unlike conventional concepts, this one is essentially a tentacle-like arm that allows for dexterity and grip.

The radical approach allows for less motors and machinery to occupy the space within the arm. This translates to less parts, cheaper to produce and easier to maintain. The tentacle arm approach allows someone to grip multiple objects just like a real hand would. However, I am skeptical about how finer, more tactile operations such as using a pencil or picking up a small object could happen.

The solution to control the arm unit is simplified here but with further refinement such a concept could work. It is great to see that there are design solutions that can extend so far from conventional approaches. The organic form, not human, is a beautiful contrast to the Darth Vader like arms that are on the market already.

Now a Junior Designer at electronic goods design company IPEVO, Kaylene has switched product fields entirely. However we hope to see this concept come to life or at least some iteration of it at Comic Con.

Flotspotting

Kai Perez

Born and raised New Yorker studying Industrial Design at Pratt

4 Comments

Bammit

6 years ago

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I have a sister in law who is house bound. This tentacle would not get any stares or comments from anyone except her dog.
It would be a godsend for her.
I wonder how extensive the process is to interface this unit with existing musculature and nerves. Does one just slip it on? Or is there a procedure?
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Tim

6 years ago

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lol W, i agree with you on that one.
this thing looks like that guys arm from that movie district 9

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W

6 years ago

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As an amputee, I stopped wearing a prosthesis due to the constant staring and limited mobility. I'm not convinced that a tentacle would improve mobility over the cabled-hook or electronic-hand approaches. And I am certain that the gawks from onlookers would increase. Both of those are undesirables. Interesting concept, but I'm not wearing one.
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Jeff

6 years ago

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This is FX101... from 1978. Most recently used in the full-scale maquette on the Prometheus set. http://tinyurl.com/bszaxce
(due the complexity of functionality, CG was used in the final film)
Many a crew member has done this for Halloween using foam, cardboard spacers, cables and servos.

Great application, but I'd to see the reservoir and pump or motors required to fully realize the concept. Amputees require both dexterity to pick up a pencil(as awesomely noted above) AND the strength to grasp, say, a motorcycle handlebar (as my father-in-law does).
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