Call to Lead Users In Prosthetic Design

[Jon K]

"Lead users," are consumers (individuals or companies) who spur
innovation in an industry by contributing innovations often of a
greater value and at a faster pace than the companies that produce the
products they use. Their innovations are often freely shared and
eventually incorporated into products. Far from being an idealist
fantasy, lead user innovations can be incorporated into the R&D
strategy of a nimble company, enabling quick identification and
anticipation of consumer needs. What we're trying to accomplish
through the Open Prosthetics community is to facilitate this
phenomenon, well-described in MIT Professor Eric von Hippel's book,
"Democratizing Innovation" (downloadable free from his site or ours).

Innovations by amputee-users are very important in the history of
prosthetics, notably by folks like D.W. Dorrance, designer of the
early split hook, versions of which remain the most popular arm
terminal device today; Bob Radocy, whose innovative grip and sports
devices are sold at TRS; and Dr. Hugh Herr, developing powered ankles
in his lab at MIT. Perhaps less well-known but equally important are
the prosthetists and technicians who have innovated for their patients
over the years, contributing products and custom modifications for
their patients, some of which have entered common use, and others
which have not.

Help us assemble the core group of active innovators that the project
needs to help us reach the next level in innovation, by posting the
flier (http://www.openprosthetics.org/file_download/26) or otherwise
letting more users and people in the industry know about the project.