I’m back with more Creo goodies you may have missed at PlanePTC Live in Orlando last month. This year’s event was especially exciting because of the passionate customer presentations. One such speaker was Mike Leydet, Design Engineer and Director of Research at College Park Industries.
Leydet presented “Inspiration and Passion behind World’s Most Anatomically-Correct Prosthetic Foot”. A full recording of the presentation is available for viewing.
College Park Industries uses Creo to develop prosthetic feet, which helps people who have had limb amputations live fuller lives. He began his presentation with some surprising stats. Currently, there are 1.7 million Americans living with limb loss, and around 100,000 additional amputations are conducted each year. He went on to describe that there are many difficulties when designing prosthetic feet. Every individual has a different shoe size, and College Park must be aware of the different foot sizes, and then shoes available for sale. Leydet showcased his prosthetic feet through stories of different individuals who use his company’s products. Some stories included a man with a high school injury, a small boy without fibulas, and a woman who was involved in a cannon explosion. These stories showed the happiness the prosthetic foot brings to each person, and the difference it has had on their lives.
Lastly, Leydet invited Michael St. Onge, a man who has lost all four limbs, to the stage to talk about his experience. St. Onge showed the audience how he puts on the prosthetic legs and is able to function nearly the same as a person with leg limbs.
While at PlanetPTC Live, Leydet was also interviewed by Josh Mings (SolidSmack) and Adam O’Hern (cadjunkie) on their podcast Engineer vs. Designer.
Check out their interview with Leydet as they discuss:
- Presenting at PlanetPTC as a source of inspiration
- Designing specific solutions for specific individuals
- How he got into designing and engineering prosthetics
- Kids and engineering
