6/26/2017 BiomechanicalEngineering|DiscoveryEducation

Explore
BiomechanicalEngineering |

HowHasBiomechanicalEngineeringIncreased
AccessibilityforPeoplewithDisabilities?

TeacherNote:Connections

Throughoutthisconcept,studentswillexaminehow
biomechanicalengineeringresearchhasledtothedevelopment
ofassistiveandadaptivetechnologiestohelppeoplewithall
kindsofdisabilities.Theywilllearnwhatsomeofthese
technologiesareandhowtheyincreaseaccessibilityforpeople
withdisabilities.Encouragestudentstopointoutinstancesin
whichthestructureofthehumanbodyanditsparts,including
artificialparts,determinetheirfunctions.

Asstudentsreadthetextbelow,havethemhighlightinformation
theycanuseasevidencetosupporttheirinitialideasonhowto
answertheCanYouExplainquestionortheirownquestionthey
generatedduringEngage.Theyshouldrecordtheirevidence
throughouttheExploresectionusingBoardBuilder.

Biomechanicalengineeringisaspecialtywithinbioengineeringthatcombines
principlesofmechanicalengineeringwithbiologicalsystems.Itstemsfromthe
scientificdisciplineofbiomechanics.Biomechanicsisthestudyofthemechanical
lawsrelatingtothemovementandstructureoflivingorganisms.

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6/26/2017 BiomechanicalEngineering|DiscoveryEducation

Biomechanicalengineersdesignorimproveassistiveandadaptivetechnologies.
Assistivetechnologiesincludeanytoolordevicethathelpssomeonewitha
disabilityperformataskwithgreatereaseorindependence.Anassistivetechnology
couldbeahearingaidthatamplifiesormakesloudersoundsforapersonwitha
hearingdisability.Adaptivetechnologiesaremodifiedversionsoftechnologiesor
toolsthatalreadyexist.Theyareusedbypeoplewithavarietyofdisabilitiesthat
makeitdifficulttousetheexistingtechnologyortool.Anexampleofanadaptive
technologyisabathchair.Bathchairsallowpeoplewithlimitedmobilityorstability
tositinashowerstallorbathtub.AnotherexampleisaBraillebook.This
technologyallowsapersonwithavisiondisabilitytoread.

VIDEOSEGMENT
ProstheticsinAction
Biomechanicalengineeringisleadingtomoresophisticated
andlifelikedevices,likeprostheticlimbs.Howcan
biomechanicshelpaprostheticlegandfootperformfunctions
thatpeoplewithfunctioninglegstakeforgranted?

FULLVIDEO
ScienceNation:TongueDriver
Researchersareworkingonnewwaystousetechnologyto
helpimprovethequalityoflifeofpeoplewithdisabilities.Can
somethingassimpleasmovingyourtonguehelpyoucontrola
wheelchair?

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6/26/2017 BiomechanicalEngineering|DiscoveryEducation

Advancesinbiomechanicalengineeringhaveenabledpeoplewithallkindsof
disabilitieswhetherpresentatbirth,orcausedbydiseaseorinjurytominimize
theimpactthedisabilityhasontheireverydaylife.However,assistivetechnologyis
notacureforadisability,anditcannotsolveeveryproblem.Peoplewith
disabilitiesstillfacechallengeseverydaythatcannotbehelpedbyanykindof
deviceortechnology.Byconsideringhowapersonsdisabilitychangesthebodys
functionsandabilities,engineershavedonetheirbesttooffsetthesechallengesand
limitations.

TeacherNote:Misconception

Studentsmaybelievethatassistivetechnologyisacureallforall
theproblemsfacedbyindividualswithdisabilities.Assistive
technologyisapowerfultooltoassistpeoplewithdisabilitiesin
meetingeverydaychallenges.Likeanyothertechnology,
however,itcomeswithtradeoffsthatariseduetotheconstraints
surroundingaproblemoranissue.

TeacherNote:Practices

Thisitemchallengesstudentstothinkaboutaprobleminthis
case,apersonsdisabilityandconsiderhowtodesigna
solution.Thegoalofengineeringistosolveproblems.Designing
solutionstoproblemsisasystematicprocessthatinvolves
definingtheproblem,thengenerating,testing,andimproving
solutions.Whilestudentswillnotdirectlyconstructthedevicesor

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6/26/2017 BiomechanicalEngineering|DiscoveryEducation

technologieslistedinthisitem,theycandiscusshoweachone
wouldbenefitthepersoninneedandbrainstormideastomake
eachtechnologyevenbetter.Considerusingstrategiesthathave
studentsexperiencesimulateddisabilities,suchasablindfoldto
simulateblindness,ornotallowingthemtousetheirlegsto
performaspecifictask.Thismayhelpthembetterdefinethe
problem.

DeviceDesign
Completethisquestiononline.

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