Remora: Providing Autonomy for Quadruple Amputees in the Shower

Program:

Center for Leadership Education

Project Description:

Dave, a quadruple amputee and veteran of the US Army and Coast Guard, currently takes 1 hour to perform his shower routine with the help of his caregiver. Additionally, there are no shower prosthetics on the market to help him bathe autonomously. In partnership with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), engineering students at Johns Hopkins designed the Remora, a waterproof upper-limb prosthetic system that allows for autonomous cleansing in the shower for quadruple amputees. The system features a harness which secures the prosthetic to the user, a loosely fitted arm case that allows water to drain, and detachable terminal ends that allow the user to switch between a hook and a brush depending on the user’s bathing needs.

Team Members

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Project Mentors, Sponsors, and Partners

Course Faculty

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Project Links

Additional Project Information

Project Photo

Project Photo Caption:

The project photo shows a computer model of the shower-safe upper prosthetic system. It is a combination of three components: a harness to secure the prosthetics to the user, an appendage to which other components connect, and terminal attachments such as the hook and brush which adapts to the user’s different needs.

Project Video

This video highlights our solution, the Remora, a water-proof upper-limb shower prosthetic that has the potential to aid quadruple amputees to perform their shower routine faster, safer, and autonomously.