Hello! My Name is Srihari Iyer. You can call me, Sri, or Srihari, either one, you choose. What you’ve stumbled upon in the expanse of the Internet, is my blog for my senior research project. As of now, there’s nothing, but I will be updating this blog every week to talk about my experiences and what I learned about the ever-growing field of Prosthetics.
I am a senior at Basis Scottsdale high school. In 5th grade, I began a whole new part of my life, learning more about every subject with excellent teachers who brought an enriching, charismatic approach to my education. As the years went by, I wanted to pursue my interests in the real world and apply what I learned in the real world. I will do this with the Senior Research Project program, that you can read about here.
In my spare time, I enjoy reading articles about new technology, watching movies, and all things politics-related. A week really doesn't go by without a couple hours of binge-watching the Daily Show, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert and SNL on Youtube. I really like superheros, partially due to the fact that I would always watch Teen Titans and Justice League as a child, and this lead to an interest in film-making with the amount of superhero movies coming out. 
Technology is something that always intrigued me. It literally shows the advancement of mankind. Cellphones today are over a 100,000 times more powerful than what the Apollo 11 used to land on the moon. Cars can drive on their own. People like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Ginni Rometty, and the massive tech-companies they managed, all became inspirations for me. Not just because they were like real-life versions of Tony Stark(Iron Man) or Bruce Wayne(Batman), but because they had managed these vehicles for innovation and advancement.
Biomedical Engineering and biotechnology particularly interested me because it was the combination of biology, chemistry and technology. These fields used the subjects I love to solve medical and environmental problems. Prosthetics are the solution for amputees or physcial impairment. I began with a small internship over the summer at this lab, guided by Dr. Marco Santello and Dr. Qiushi Fu, both phenominal and fantastic people; and I decided I wanted to pursue more at their lab. There has been much advancement in the field of Prosthetics, but not much in terms of design. Through my project, I want to observe and analyze the Prosthetic Hand and its design. I want to find ways that I can make it better.
Hi Sri! You managed to describe so much of yourself and the background behind your passions in such a wonderfully flowing manner. I love how you transitioned from your interest in superheroes as a kid to the people that are your inspirations today :) In terms of your project itself, will you be working with prosthetic models solely, or will you also be interacting with patients to discuss what they deem needs to be improved based on their own first-hand experiences? Also, what interests you more: analyzing the design of the prosthetic hand itself as it is now and learning the mechanics behind it, or finding ways to improve it? Can't wait to follow you along this journey, and read more posts from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Saleena! Thank you for your comment! Unfortunately, I won't be able to interact with patients to discuss how a prosthetic cna be improved, but that is something that I would like to be addressed. I think that the field of Prosthesis can be made and soon will be personalized to account for the function that each patient needs it to serve.For now, I want to see the mechanics of the prosthetic hand device, and see if it can replicate a grasp, and conform to a shape when grasping. From that stand point, I want to see if I can change the design in any way to make it more effective at serving that purpose. So sort of as a mix of both, I want to see the improvements that can be made as I observe the mechanics of the prosthetic hand in terms of the way that it has been designed.
DeleteHi, Sri! I loved your first blog post! You were able to fully explain how you became interested in the field of prosthetics while still capturing your personality. You said that there was a lot of advancement in prosthetics, but not for its design. In what way did prosthetics advance, and what exactly about the design of the prosthetic hand do you want to analyze the most, if there is one? I'm so excited to see what you'll learn, and I can't wait to read your next post!
ReplyDeleteHi Korina, thank you for your comment! For Prosthetics, prosthetics sort of advanced and improved in terms of design to get all five fingers to move using wires, but after that, more and more biotechnology firms turned towards looking at ways that the prosthetic could communicate with the brain, and sort of give sensory input. I want to analyze if a prosthetic hand can mimic tactile feedback, in terms of grasping an object and conforming to a shape, and make sure that the design of the prosthetic allows for this, and then from this point, I want to see if the prosthetic can be made simpler, and more cost effective.
DeleteI love Colbert and Daily Show! I love your blog post and your dedication to helping people. Working with prosthetic design sounds so interesting! How are you going to check to see which prosthetic work better? Are you going to see if 3D printing can make them more cost-effective?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your next blog post.
Hi Mrs. Bailey, thank you for the comment! In terms of my project, I want to see the level to which the prosthetic hand can replicate the functions of the human hand, but if the time permits, I would like to make a comparison between two prosthetic devices. I am actually going to come in to some of the 3-D Printing meetings, because I want to try to print my own prosthetic hand with the 3-D printers if I can design it. I will definitely be taking into account the prevalence of 3-D printed prosthetic hands because of their popularity.
DeleteHi Sri! I love the voice that you bring to your blog as well as its aesthetic appeal! I am interested to learn how you first got involved in this lab. Also, does its work focus specifically upon prosthetic hands as opposed to other limbs?
ReplyDeleteTo piggy back off of Ms. Bailey's question and your interest in politics, does health insurance make prosthetics attainable? If so, is quality compromised in order to cut costs?
Looking forward to your next post!
Hello Ms. Mitrovich, thank you for your comment! I actually wanted lab experience last year, so I emailed Dr. Santello and asked if I could intern at his lab, and he offered me a summer program. I went in, and became interested with biotechnology after working there. They work with a lot of various devices, but they have several projects revolving around the prosthetic hand.
DeleteIn terms of insurance, unfortunately, most insurance plans, and Obamacare, actually only will pay off only a portion of the price for prosthetics because I believe these plans don't consider them as an essential treatment or something along that. However, prosthetics do cost alot of money, and with new technologies, there is innovation to produce a cost-effective prosthetic, which is something that I would definitely like to delve into.
Hi Sri! This all sounds so exciting. New technology is fascinating, and this is such a cool way to use it to help people. Have either of these influenced your choice of career? Or sooner, your choice of major in college?
ReplyDeleteWhat specific aspect of designing prosthetics will you be looking at the closest? Something relating to movement? Or capability? Can't wait to read more!
Hi Julia, thank you so much for your comment! Yeah, Biotechnology as a whole has interested me. I want to pursue biomedical engineering in college, and possibly go on to medical school. I like biomedical engineering and biotechnology because it involves technology as a solution for medical problems.
DeleteIn terms of Prosthetics, I am interested in seeing if a prosthetic can effectively communicate with the brain, so that the prosthetic can do simple functions like temperature recognition.
Hi Sri! I am looking forward to following your blog posts! I love how you spoke of superhero figures and how it connects to the sense of power behind prosthetics. You said that you had already done previous research at this lab and that you were planning to focus on the design of the Prosthetic Hand. From your prior time at the lab, have you noticed any issues or gaps in the current design of the Prosthetic Hand? I can't wait to see where this project leads you.
ReplyDeleteHi Sydney! Thank you for your comment! I didn't really notice into any gaps or issues earlier because most of the work I did was data-centric, but in this case, most prosthetics have the ability to conform to an object when the object is held. So off of that, I want to look into the sort of forces exerted and see if there are any correlations between how the object can influence the prosthetics reaction to it.
DeleteHi Srihari! Your project looks very interesting and the only one of its nature. Technology is advancing more and more even as we speak, and I am glad to hear that you're using and improving it to the benefit of others. I also agree with Sydney; your parallels between superheroes and prosthetics is intriguing and sends a very hopeful message. I look forward to your next posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Fajr! Thank you for your comment!
DeleteHi Sri,
ReplyDeleteI am very excited to see where your research will take you! Is there any reason you chose the prosthetic hand specifically? I think prosthetics have a very important achievement in technology and I hope you find that more in depth with this project! I am looking forward to your upcoming posts!
Audrey
Hi Audrey!
DeleteThank you so much for your comment! Most of the research at the lab was based around the prosthetic hand, and my summer experience led me to sort of see the importance that the hand plays in daily motor function, and so that factored into the kind of prosthetic device that I chose to work with.
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ReplyDeleteHi Sri! I think its very interesting how you are focusing on the technological approach to medicine. Prosthetics is still developing currently and will definitely have a significant role in the future, and I think it's so great that you decided to research and develop it further. I was wondering if you worked with the prosthetic hand during the summer? Thanks, I look forward to your future blog posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! Thank you for your comment! Yeah, my research over the summer was centered around data analysis with recordings from a prosthetic hand device and a similar simulation software. It kind of was a precursor of what data I wanted to analyze to look into the design of a prosthetic hand.
DeleteHello Sri,
ReplyDeleteYour project interests me greatly, as I also share interests for biology and technology, so I'm excited to see the progress you will make throughout the following weeks. What specifically about the prosthetic hand makes it the focal point of your research? Did your research over the summer deal with the prosthetic hand uniquely?
Thanks,
Anthony
Hi Anthony!
DeleteThanks for your interest! The reason I am so interested in a prosthetic hand is basically because it is so important for motor function in everyone's daily lives. Cognitive Impairment or Amputation of a hand limits one as a whole. Over the summer, I went through some data from prior research for hand recordings, and then observed the functionality of a human hand versus a prosthetic, and it was focused around the hand and its prosthetic counterpart. I think my summer experience made me realize the importance of a hand for daily function and led me to choose it as a focal point for my research.