The early artificial arm seen here was developed by William Carnes, who lost his right arm in an accident in 1906. He designed and built this prosthetic limb using his left hand and his mouth. As wounded soldiers returned from the front of World War I, such devices came into widespread use.
Prosthetics have come a long way since then, thanks to new materials and manufacturing techniques, and the work of the disability rights movement. User customization is one important area of research. The artificial leg by Baltimore-based company Danae allows users to digitally design their own shapes and patterns, transforming a traditional rehabilitation device into a custom canvas for personal expression.
This section includes the following objects:
Carnes Artificial Arm
Danae Prosthetic Leg
Robotic Glove and Assistive Hip Suit
An Artificial Limb from the World War I Era
Carnes Artificial Arm
Carnes Artificial Limb Company, ca. 1915
Leather and metal
Description: A prosthetic arm that starts below the elbow. The top part of the arm has buckles to be secured to the person. The buckle portion and the rest of the arm is secured by two loops on the sides. The bottom part of the arm looks anatomically similar to a human arm. The fingers bend and the wrist can move. The arm is painted to look like light colored skin. The paint of the hand has flaked off. It exposes the metal underneath. The arm portion has a crack in it.
Credit: Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Enhancing Human Abilities
Robotic exoskeletons: they’re not what you might think. You may have encountered them in sci-fi films, but these technologies also provide help in the real world.
Soft exosuits from the Biodesign Lab at Harvard University use robotics to enhance human capabilities. They are primarily made of specially designed fabrics. In the future, such devices have the potential to transform work and health. They could improve training and prevent injuries for athletes and workers, enable more effective rehabilitation strategies for clinicians and patients, and help people overcome physical limitations.
Robotics to Extend an Active Life
Soft Robotic Glove for Neuromuscular Rehabilitation 2018 to present
Glove: Knit textile, sensors, compressed air
Description: A black glove with gray fingers connected to a box with a cord. The glove fits snug around a hand and the gray fingers extend beyond a person’s fingers. The box is black and has a handle on it for transport. It also has a hole in order to ensure the wires can connect to it.
Assistive Hip Suit for Active Living
2018 to present
Textiles, sensors
Enclosure: cables, motors, control electronics, batteries
Description: A black wrap around the waist and leg. This exo-suit has wires that connect from the waist to the leg, which forms an outline of a suit. The waist has a thick black strap. The back of the waist has a thick silver battery pack. The leg portion has a leg-brace looking piece on both legs. The leg portion is flexible material.
A video accompanies this object. Plug in headphones to hear the audio description.
Credit: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences & Wyss Institute at Harvard University
A Personalized Prosthetic
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printed bi-lateral prosthetic cover from ankle to calf
Description: A prosthetic leg. It has a realistic looking foot with light colored skin. The leg from ankle to calf is red. It has horizontal slits around the calf and shin that give it a breathable look. Above is a black attachment to a person’s body.
Credit: Danae Inc., Winston Frazer, Austin Peppel, and Andrew Copland
Touch surface tablet, infrared eye-gaze tracker, custom mount, adapted software
Description: A program that tracks eye movement and allows individuals to play a video game. The video game is on the screen. It is playing the game “Minecraft,” which has a series of blocks that make up various scenes and landscapes. There is also an accessible keyboard available.
Play a Video Game With Your Eyes
Eye-tracking software EyeMine allows you to play the video game Minecraft simply by moving your eyes. The technology is based on infrared tracking cameras that follow your gaze. It’s fun for anyone, but particularly relevant for those who find using a standard controller difficult.
Approach the screen and gently move the monitor up, down, left or right to adjust to your eye level. Instructions on the screen will guide you further.
This game uses eye movement instead of a controller to navigate through the game. No images or identifying information will be captured.
Credit: SpecialEffect
Munich Olympics
Otl Aicher, 1972
Offset lithograph on white wove paper (reproduction)
Description: A poster with a series of symbols to depict information and instructions. It has a light gray background with white and black icons. There are many different kinds of icons. Some examples include icons for planes taking off and landing, wayfinding directions, telephones, and dining.
An Olympian Feat of Graphic Invention
Otl Aicher’s posters for the 1972 Olympics depict people, transport, and objects as simple emblems, rather like emojis. The graphic system he used pioneered a new type of visual communication across language barriers, aiming at universal comprehensibility.
Credit: Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Ken Friedman; 1997-19-167