From Plastic Waste to Affordable Lower Limb Prosthetics

Simon Oschwald, Leiter Forschungsprojekt Project Circleg, ZHdK

The World Health Organization estimates that 35 to 40 million people worldwide need a prosthesis or orthosis. However, the majority of them live in developing countries and cannot afford a prosthetic limb. We asked ourselves how we could use design and engineering tools to have a positive impact on the lives of these amputees. This question marked the beginning of Project Circleg, an affordable lower limb prosthetic system made of recycled plastic waste. We want to take you on the journey of Project Circleg and show you how we use design and engineering to develop a prosthetic system that will not only simplify the everyday life of amputees, but can also be produced locally and cost-effectively. As well as talking about the research and development of possible prosthetic solutions, we also will discuss the implementation of such solutions in developing countries and the challenges involved.

Talk in English