Biomedical Engineering
“Biomedical engineering refers to the innovations that improve our health and healthcare systems, for example 3D organ printing, prosthetic limbs and wearable technology.” Tomorrow’s Engineers: From Idea to Career
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- Teacher guidance
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Teacher guidance
Fixperts
Fixperts is an award-winning, hands-on learning programme that challenges young people to use their imagination and skills to create ingenious solutions to everyday problems. This set of resources can be used to introduce pupils to ideas about social and inclusive design, problem identification, iterative design and evaluating ideas with a user in mind.
Remote Operations
Design and make a prototype device that can be operated remotely to pick up objects and accurately locate them on a given target or human body. Devices such as these are increasingly used in medical engineering. This Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) DIY Faraday Challenge asks students to work in teams to create a device that will simulate a heart and kidney transplant. Objects representing the human heart (tennis ball) and a kidney (ping-pong ball) must be picked up and accurately placed in their appropriate holes in an MDF/cardboard cut out of a human torso.
The challenge is designed to be delivered over a full day and the resource provides introduction videos, resources for students and support for facilitators on how to use the activity.
Bionic Men and Women
This activity from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is an engaging introduction to the properties of modern materials in a setting of biomedical engineering.
Working in small groups, students think of an idea for a prosthetic device they think they might see in the future, like an exo suit for firefighters or a fully working bionic hand.
The activity is supported by the films Bionic Limbs, Nature Reinvented and Prosthetic Design.
Acoustic Engineering 1
This starter activity has been inspired by the Sound Design film and focuses upon the development of earphones and headphones. Students are provided with the opportunity to analyse earphones currently on the market in a structured, detailed, and creative way. They are then encouraged to investigate the potential development of this product.
The resource, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), is one of a number of activities which explore ergonomics and aesthetics in an authentic context. The full set of resources for this topic can be found in the Sound Design collection.
Video
The power of prosthetics
This lesson plan and classroom presentation explores some of the skills and knowledge needed to work in the field of biomechanical engineering. Combining knowledge from Biology, Design and Technology and Engineering, it asks students to investigate the design and development of a prosthetic arm.
Presentation
Bionic Boy
The Bionic Boy resources take inspiration from the Born to Engineer video from Ben Ryan, who is working to develop low-cost 3D-printed prosthetic limbs for young children and babies. Through discussion and practical activity, this resource supports students to increase their understanding of engineering through designing a prosthetic arm.
External link
New bionics let us run, climb and dance
This TED talk shows how Hugh Herr is using nature’s inspiration to build the next generation of bionic limbs and robotic prosthetics. Herr lost both legs in a climbing accident 30 years ago; now, as the head of the MIT Media Lab's Biomechatronics group, he shows his incredible technology — with the help of ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost her left leg in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and performs again for the first time on the TED stage.
This video is an inspirational talking point, working well as a starter or a homework activity for students to watch in their own time.
Other
Designing Programmable Systems
This collection of resources supports students to explore the mechanics behind a robot warm, modelling a human arm, then modelling how a robot arm will replicate the same movement.
