More mobility for the people that have suffered an amputation in the countries in roads of development
D-Rev, designer and manufacturer of the prothetic knee ReMotion, has been the first rewarded with the Cool Contrives! In 2013. Proto Labs Will provide to D-Rev the pieces moldeadas by injection that needs for his next phase of proofs. Proto Labs Presented the Prize Cool Idea! In 2011 to offer to the designers of products the opportunity to take out to the light his innovations, conceding to the winners of the prize a value of until 250.000 dollars in services of creation of prototypes and of production in a small way.
Contrives him ReMotion Knee was cream in 2008 like project for a university course of engineering biomédica. The students collaborated with JaipurFoot Organization, the greater provider of prosthesis of low cost for the Indian. Later, they worked also with the designer of products Vinesh Narayan, of San Francisco. In 2010, D-Rev, a non-profit organisation devoted to improve the health and the income of the people that live with less than 4 dollars to the day, continued the project with Narayan, that was hired like boss of product.
“In the countries in roads of development live around 10 million people with amputations above the knee, to which ReMotion Knee allows to walk with stability by the rugged terrains or ways without asphalt, typical of these countries in roads of development. Also it helps them to go back to find work and to keep his independence”, affirms Narayan. “The prothetic knees that sell to low cost in the actuality are, in his greater part, articulations with an alone axis. They work the same that the bisagra of a door and, although have the advantage to be cheap, are very unstable. ReMotion Uses a mechanism policéntrico, that simulates the anatomy of the knee for a greater stability.”
In the actuality, has placed a ReMotion Knee to more than 4.600 people amputated. Like part of the Prize Cool Idea!, moldearán by injection 100 prothetic knees that will use to realise proofs of field that guarantee the performance when happening of pieces mechanised CNC to pieces moldeadas by injection. This change is important to keep the quality, whereas it increases the necessary quantity.
“Have felt us especially attracted by ReMotion Knee because of his aim and potential to improve the life of thousands of people, ” comments Larry Lukis, founder and technical director of Proto Labs. “All the design calls the attention by his perfection, so much aesthetic like functional. It has thought of conscientious form each appearance of the mechanism, from the use of plastics of high quality in place of metals (to save costs and maintenance without prejudicing the results), until the edges rounded and the dock that create an appearance and a form to walk more natural.”
“With the prize Cool Idea! We can test the new design of knee with a lot of lower risk, producing only 100 articulations of knee moldeadas by injection. This is not the usual, since the majority of the moldeadores by injection demand productions on a large scale. Work with Proto Labs has accelerated significantly the project without increasing the risk”, ensures Narayan.
Unlike other prizes for products that recognise his alone merit after his production wholesale and distribution to the points of sale, the Prize Cool Idea! Of Proto Labs pretends to help to that the big ideas see the light. It opts to the prize during the phase of design and development, when the innovative are used to topar with big obstacles because of the fault of resources or bottoms to convert his ideas in real products.
