The Pirate's Life for Me

Figure 1 Argh Matey's it's Captain Matt

Arghhh mateys! Do you ever wonder how hard the life of a pirate is? They work on their ship day in and day out. They scrub the floors until they are squeaky clean, battle enemy ships, and most importantly, search for buried treasure. This is a difficult day of work for the average pirate, but it is especially hard for Captain Matt, who lost his leg battling an enemy ship for treasure (Figure 1). He used to be one of the most feared pirates on the great blue sea, but now he has a peg leg and has trouble doing his pirate duty. The peg leg is heavy, clunky, and makes it hard for Captain Matt to get around. Imagine trying to search for treasure with a stick for a leg! He needs something on his leg that will allow him to sail and plunder just as any other pirate would.

Look! Just Ahead!

The running blade is just the thing he needs! A running blade is a prosthetic,

or an object used to replace a part of the body (1) (Figure 2). It's a fake body part that can function similarly to a real one. The running blade is a very special kind of prosthetic, which allows users to run and jump just as any healthy, able-bodied person would do.  The running blade will perform the actions that a foot on a non-injured person would (3). It will attach below the knee of Captain Matt's injured leg just like the peg leg did. The real question is, why is it so much better than a peg leg? 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Figure 2- Flex Foot Cheetah

Improving a Pirate's Life

The running blade will improve Captain Matt's pirate life by a landslide. Instead of being made of wood, the running blade is made of carbon fiber (2). Carbon fiber is a light-weight metal that is able to flex easily. This material makes the running blade much sturdier and more flexible than the previous peg leg. In other words, Captain Matt will be able to be on his feet all day and shout orders to all his crew without a problem. Did you take notice to the J-shape of the running blade? It almost looks like a Cheetah's leg (2)! It was designed this way to bring the running ability of the Cheetah to the human using it. The J-Shape allows for the running blade to compress like a spring, and shoot Captain Matt's leg forward after the running blade it returns to its normal state (2).This shape allows for Captain Matt to be able to run fast and jump when searching for his treasure, rather than hobbling along on his wooden leg (3). The running blade has made some great improvements in the life of the pirate, but it does not stop there!

Not Just for Pirates!

All different kinds of people use the running blade! Soldiers who were injured in 

Figure 3 Oscar Pistorius running with the
 running blade.

battle use them so they can get back to serving their country. People who needed amputations, or amputees, use them to get back to doing the activity or playing the sport they love. Injured football players, track runners, teachers and even doctors can all be seen using the running blade to help make their life easier and be filled with more activity, just like Captain Matt did (2). Running blades have even helped athletes break world records, such as Oscar Pistorius in the Olympic Games (Figure 3).


Figure 4. Full Speed Ahead!

Full Speed Ahead!

Captain Matt can now go back to being the feared captain of the sea he used to be without having to worry that his peg leg will slow him down. With the running blade he will be able to get more treasure in a shorter amount of time. This way he will have more time to celebrate with his crew after finding a chest filled with gold! Say farewell to Captain Matt mateys, he has some treasure to find with the help of his new running blade!

For more information on how the running blade works, watch the video on this page: LEARN MORE

References

(1) Bains, W. (1998). Biotechnology from a-z, second edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. (p.313).

Flex foot cheetah [Photograph]. (2014). Retrieved from: http://assets.ossur.com/library/17137/proc/6

Oscar Pistorius [Photograph]. (2013). Retrieved from:  http://cdn.3news.co.nz/3news/AM/2013/3/2/288703/pistorius.jpg

Pirate Ship [Photograph]. (2014). Retrieved from: http://api.ning.com/files/NRpz*rV1U-v-v9wg75EXO3whpi9pBoobJfv6f1fkXdId6o6ZCn*2cngf4qEYnEQ1VBmnFiB-ofoN5TPjCWMUG4u5ONLzFf1p/pirate_ship_sailing_hg_clr.gif

(2) Pogash, C. (2008, July 2). A personal call to a prosthetic invention. New York Times. Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/sports/olympics/02cheetah.html?ref=sports&_r=2&

(3) Smith, K. (2013). Coverage limits are harsh reality for amputees. Politico. Retrieved from: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/boston-marathon-harsh-reality-for-amputees-90467.html