Current Problem: According to the US Army Office of the
Surgeon General, between September 2001 and January 12, 2009, there were 1,286
amputations in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF),
and unaffiliated conflicts. The total includes 935 major limb amputations and
351 minor amputations. Over 50% of
these amputees were wounded by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In addition, The Department of Health and
Human Services (2010) reports an average of 185,000 new amputations occur
yearly in the general population. With
the implied value of statistical injury of an amputee at $1,300,000, the cost
of the prosthetic limb between $12,000 and $100,000, and annual medical costs
between $45,000 to $60,000, a means to provide quality-of-life that also
returns cost needs to be addressed.
Also, approximately 8,000 people become paraplegic annually in the
general population.
Current Solution: Add to an existing commercial
backhoe/loader a lift and control system so that an amputee/paraplegic can
control the vehicle's function from either his wheelchair or from the operator's
seat within the vehicle. By adding a
series of cameras the user can operate the vehicle from a distance, or be
lifted into the operators seat and travel with the vehicle to the construction
site.
Benefit: With both manual and robotic controls the backhoe/loader
can be used as a construction tool that will help users regain community re-integration
and quality-of-life. In addition, the vehicle can be used and operated with
in-place controls as a standard backhoe/loader vehicle. Such operators will become private
contractors and offer their services to support general construction and
earthwork.
