(source: http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/specials/rowing_with_FES/)
Designed in 2006 by Brian Andrews PHD, this electrical stimulation creates movement in the leg muscles of people with spinal cord disabilities. With a self-administered trigger, athletes with disabilities preventing use of the legs are able to create the electric stimulation that triggers the thrust and retracting in the leg muscles, making them move and allowing the rowing erg to be used to its full capacity. The most compelling things to me are the simplicity of this machine in how many components it has (7 basic components: a battery, a trigger, springs, electrode connectors, electrodes, shin braces, special chair) and the self-administration. To the first point, even though it deals with electronics and the actually interiors of the electrodes and battery might be complex, the total amount of major components is pretty small. Everything is there because it needs to be there. It isn’t particularly clunky and, with the help of a trained technician, is easy enough to use. Because of the nature of ergonomic exercise (the use of both the upper and lower body) and the differences between cardiovascular ability in different people, the administration of the shocks cannot be uniform. They have to be unique and individual. By putting this in the control of the athlete, they allow the best use of the tech and the most comfortable experience for the user.
(video: https://vimeo.com/99654619
additional reading: http://www.abilities.com/community/assistive_rowing.html)
(Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=fdr+car+modification&biw=1280&bih=631&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiH-YLcpJTPAhXIpR4KHc7tA5YQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=fdr+car+controls&imgrc=0IqkLmCcX71KhM%3A)
These are the modifications on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s car. Due to childhood polio, he was paralyzed from the waist down. Hand mechanisms were installed to allow for his upper body to take control of acceleration and braking. There are more modern incarnations of this that allow others with paralysis of the lower body to drive of their own accord. Keep in mind, though, that there are many types of automobile modifications ranging from these hand-controlled foot pedals to change in the car system to different spatial requirements in the seating and many more.
(http://www.robohand.net/about/)
The Robohand in collaboration with MakerBot is a 3-D printed hand prosthetic. All but three parts (the wrist cuff, cabling, and hardware) are 3-D printed. The cost is at or below $150 USD. This particular model is for people who still have a writs with mobility and some palm. The closing of the prosthetic fingers occurs when the user curls their wrist down. The Robohand is a great product for people without finger, children especially. When a child outgrows the hand, they can size up their blueprints and print a bigger hand at a considerably lesser price than a regular prosthetic. The files have been released online, with many modifications and adaptations for other hand, wrist, and arm disabilities so people all over the world can make their own.
(Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT3772yhr0o
Source:http://www.robohand.net/ AND http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2013/05/07/robohand)