THEIR STORIES:
Meet Vivekananda
Vivekananda is a young, passionate, optimistic entrepreneur from India. in September 2018, Vivekananda was hit with a high voltage electric shock. He survived, however, lost both his hands.
Our Blue Heart Hero team connected with him and what struck us the most was his positive attitude. Despite his limitations, he is extremely optimistic! He calls himself: A Bilateral Amputee Without Limits. We admired this positive energy and point of view to life, and we truly believe his story can inspire the world.
Vivekananda was initially interested in the Utility Gauntlet designed by our partner, Havenlabs. However, he specifically needed attachments that would improve his independence with daily-life routines and activities, such as:
-
Holding a cup
-
Eating with utensils
-
Holding his phone
-
Typing on the computer
-
Writing with a pencil
DESIGN SOLUTIONS:
Utility Gauntlet
Our Blue Heart Hero team worked on a customized Utility Gauntlet designed specifically for his needs for one week and tested the design to perfection. We called the final design: Utility Gauntlet 2. The Utility Gauntlet 2 not only worked better but is also smaller in size. Utility Gauntlet 2 uses flexible filament (TPU) and solid filament (PLA or PC), and a 1" velcro wrap. The new design features a better hook system- 3D printed hook with a little angle on the sides to provide a better grip on the forearm.
The mechanical mechanism of the design is exactly the same as the previous version. Solid material slides into flexible material and sticks hard inside.
Based on Vivekandana's limitations and needs, we developed the easiest solutions for attaching and detaching different pieces onto the Gauntlet. Vivekananda received the 3D printed pieces by a local 3D print shop in India.
For more of Vivekananda's story:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vivekananda-nareddula-bilateral-amputee-without-limits-nareddula/