Another story from Columbia News Service. Before I try and snag credit for it, I should note that I am standing on the shoulders of other journalists. Really I was following up on a piece in Wired News by Quinn Norton (thanks Quinn).
My version of the story got published in Winston Salem Journal (and possibly elsewhere). It’s on a way cool subject.
From the story:
"When Robert Haag’s
son Michael (right) was born with about 6 inches of his left arm missing below
the elbow – a condition shared by about 400 children each year – the
standard artificial limbs weren’t very helpful.
Run by motors and
sensors that transfer muscle movements from the arm into mechanical
motion, the standard aluminum myoelectric limb is too heavy and bulky
for a child.
…
"Researching the
problem online, he came across an organization called Open Prosthetics
Project, which improves prosthetic designs and develops new models. The
intellectual-property rights for the designs are not patented, so
people can modify the work of others.
As a result, Haag
and his wife, Julie, were able to make specific modifications on the
hand Michael uses without having to spend thousands of dollars on
specially fitted limbs."
Really great story. Technology truly benefiting those that need it most is always an awesome topic.
I saw this website link at groundreport, clicked to have a look at. This story made me stop and read. People have to see what is happening around them and write about real life itself sometimes.