1. Thesis Research:
Social Module
Kelly F. Nichols
Thesis Studio I
Prof. Scott Pobiner
09.24.10

2. Expand field of research from
prosthetics
specifically to
assistive
technologies
in general.

3. Component Areas of
Assistive Technology

4. Stakeholders
• Patients/Users
• Family Members & Friends
• Doctors & Hospitals
• Rehabilitation Specialists & Centers
• Third Party Vendors
• Insurance Companies
• Governments

5. Users

6. Types of Users
Developmentally
Amputees
Disabled

7. How User Condition Arises
Developmentally
Amputees
Disabled
• Circulation problems from atherosclerosis or
diabetes, resulting in amputation
• Traumatic injuries, including from traffic accidents
and military combat
• Cancer
• Birth defects
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/limbloss.html

8. How User Condition Arises
Developmentally
Amputees
Disabled
• Nervous system disabilities affecting how the brain,
spinal cord and nervous system function. They
cause mental retardation, including Down
syndrome and fragile X syndrome. They also cause
learning and behavioral disorders, such as autism.
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/developmentaldisabilities.html

9. Site Visit I:
Amputees
Westcoast Brace & Limb
Orthotics & Prosthetics

10. Site Visit I:
Amputees
• Builds and Fits Orthotics
• Cranial Remolding
• Builds and Fits Prosthetics
• Upper Extremity
• Lower Extremity

11. Site Visit I:
Amputees
• Shadowed Technicians
• Spoke with Practitioners
• Spoke with Marketing Staff
• Attended Amputee Support Group

12. Westcoast Brace & Limb

13. WCBL Prosthetic Work

14. WCBL Prosthetic Work

15. WCBL Prosthetic Work

16. Site Visit II:
Developmentally
Disabled
Queens Centers for Progress
Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

17. Site Visit II:
Developmentally
Disabled
• Child Services
• Early Childhood Intervention
• Schooling & Daycare
• Adult Services
• Residential, Clinical, & Vocational
• Assistive Devices

18. Site Visit II:
Developmentally
Disabled
• Met with Director
• Toured Facility
• Met Teachers & Students

19. QCP Seating & Mobility Work

20. QCP Seating & Mobility Work

21. QCP Digital Learning Work

22. Potential
Health Partners
• Westcoast Brace & Limb
• Queens Centers for Progress
• Frazier Rehab Institute
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
• NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases

23. Partners Outside
Health Organizations?

24. Assistive Technology Related
Organizations in NYC

25. Research

26. Mannequin Hunting

27. Thesis Statement
Can a more personal relationship be achieved by
designing a prosthetic that creates a more
interpersonal relationship with the wearer?

28. Next Steps / Next Module