Testing the ability of a prosthetic to resist change in position and handle weight
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Engineering
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Currently there are over 41,000 people in the United States who have lost an upper limb (Williams and Walter 2015). In order to help these individuals live the most normal life possible, prosthetics are made. Unfortunately, they are very expensive. Two prosthetic structures were tested during this study, one was made with moldable plastic and strap on attachment mechanism, and another was made with aluminum and clip on attachment mechanism. These were placed on a vertical approximation of an arm upside down, and weights were placed on the hook, causing the prosthetic to (possibly) slip off. The structures were attached to the arm at a certain point, and at the end of the test, the distance away from the first point was measured. After this, weights were attached to the prosthetic to see when the prosthetic starts to fail, or break. It was found after the tests and an ANOVA that neither the clip on, nor the strap on performed better (p (0.628) >a (0.05)), meaning that the only determining factors in choosing the prosthetic are weight and comfort. The aluminum being lighter, it seems to be the better design.
Recommended Citation
Frye, Royce, "Testing the ability of a prosthetic to resist change in position and handle weight" (2017). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 117.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2017/all/117
Location
Wall 225
Start Date
3-25-2017 10:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Testing the ability of a prosthetic to resist change in position and handle weight
Wall 225
Currently there are over 41,000 people in the United States who have lost an upper limb (Williams and Walter 2015). In order to help these individuals live the most normal life possible, prosthetics are made. Unfortunately, they are very expensive. Two prosthetic structures were tested during this study, one was made with moldable plastic and strap on attachment mechanism, and another was made with aluminum and clip on attachment mechanism. These were placed on a vertical approximation of an arm upside down, and weights were placed on the hook, causing the prosthetic to (possibly) slip off. The structures were attached to the arm at a certain point, and at the end of the test, the distance away from the first point was measured. After this, weights were attached to the prosthetic to see when the prosthetic starts to fail, or break. It was found after the tests and an ANOVA that neither the clip on, nor the strap on performed better (p (0.628) >a (0.05)), meaning that the only determining factors in choosing the prosthetic are weight and comfort. The aluminum being lighter, it seems to be the better design.
