Jon Kuniholm's Page

Christian Siefkes has written a great post on some of the issues surrounding open hardware and the differences between hardware and software. As one of the comments below notes, the possibility of well-documenting prior art is absent from the analysis, and is another avenue for preventing patenting of design ideas.

I think that this a… Continue

While I've complained about the fact that many of us are using hooks strongly resembling that designed by and still bearing the name of David Dorrance, who patented the split hook in 1912 and whose company survi… Continue

A tip from Brad Veatch of ADA, the developer of the LESA prehensor (not yet available).

A little teflon pipe thread tape underneath the rubber bands on the hook when you replace them will reportedly increase the life by eight times. Brad apparently has data to support this… Continue

Congress has made available $112 M in FY09 for medical research to advance treatment and rapid rehabilitation from orthopaedic injuries sustained by military service members during combat or combat-related activities. The Department of Defense(DoD)Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs(CDMRP) Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP) task in FY09 is to find and fund innovative research that has the potential to make a significant impact on improving function, wellness, and o… Continue

I've spoken before about the need for a standard for prosthetic/robotic arm (or leg) control, preferably one also adopted by a larger industry. University of New Brunswick Fredericton (UNB)'s AIF UNB Hand Project has settled on a CAN-based communications system, using the established standard for automotive communication. Under the name of a consortium that has long sought to standardize upper extremity prosthetic control, the… Continue