Technology in medicine has come a long way and prices have sky rocketed along with that. A 17 year old teen, Easton LaChapelle, managed to replace an $80 000 bionic arm that was limited in its functions, (only just being able to hold a can) with one which is of "extreme strength, functionality, costs under $500 and weighs less than a human arm." He still working on it and now each finger could hold 50 pounds of mass, surpassing human strength- almost dangerous! The low cost was made possible via 3D printing- a method with could help amputees of the third world. 3D printing has also allowed for changes and developments to be made easily through prototypes and adjustments.
 |
| Easton LaChapelle at The White House |
This is a huge achievement for anyone, especially someone of this age. It is a huge inspiration to our generation, whatever their future aspirations. It all began when he saw a 7 year old girl with an $80,000 prosthetic arm, which is when he became determined to help lower the outrageous costs. His main motivation was clear and that was to contribute. A quote from his Ted talk, "It all started from boredom, into something that could change people's lives." This is just the start and his contributions are still continuing, as he is now building an exoskeleton for his friend who was paralysed from the waist down, so he can walk for his graduation.
I think curiosity in the world today is key for progress and he says he challenges us to "look beyond the boundaries and be curious."
This is great
ReplyDelete