Bamboodia: a brilliant prosthetic concept tailored for Cambodia
The concept uses local materials to reduce the cost of those prosthetics and make them accessible to everyone
Huang Yu-Man and Wang Yu-Chi have introduced Bamboodia, a brilliant prosthetic solution for landmine victims, particularly in Cambodia.
There have been around 60,000 landmine casualties in Cambodia over the last 30 years, most of which suffer from amputations. Most of those amputees can’t afford a prosthetic as they lack the financial means.
An Affordable, Custom Prosthetic Solution
Bamboodia is a Red Dot Award-winning concept that offers an affordable solution to Cambodian amputees who can’t afford the already available prosthetic options. The new concept uses local materials to reduce the cost of those prosthetics and make them accessible to everyone who needs them.
The modular design of Bamboodia makes it easy adjustable. The affordability of this solution is particularly important to teenage in the age of 14-18, who need to replace the prosthetics constantly. By making prosthetics more affordable, those teenagers can afford to have them replaced as they grow.
A Smart Choice of Materials
The designers have used bamboo for their design as it is a locally-grown material with physical properties that make it perfect for prosthetics. The bendability and flexibility of bamboo make it perfect for use in the prosthetic’s ankle.
The material’s elastic properties allow it to stimulate the natural curves of human ankles. In addition to stimulating natural ankle forms, the bamboo’s elasticity makes stepping on it much more comfortable for people using the prosthetic.
Polycaprolactones is used for the prosthetics external material. This material is a kind of thermoplastic polymers that needs a heat-based process to be formed. After it’s heated to 60 degrees Celsius, the Polycaprolactones is softened and can be easily formed into the desired shape.
This process starts by heating water to the required temperature, dropping in the Polycaprolactones after its cut into the right size. After that, the softened material can be draped over a stump and manipulated into the required final form. When it cools down, Polycaprolactones hardens into its new desired form. Such a brilliant concept can change the life of so many people and give them a new hope.
