Portrait photo of Team CyberTUM

ARM / Arm Prosthesis Race

CyberTUM

GermanyGermany

About the Team

In March 2019 a group of international students of the Technical University Munich (TUM) started to develop a forearm prosthesis. Team CyberTUM had been created to take part in CYBATHLON 2020. Its leader Nick Tacca says: "Our prosthesis design is simple and efficient, it is limited to a two-finger grip. Our pilot Simona can change the grip mode for the different tasks via a touchpad. During our research, we found that apparently many users take off their prosthesis in their everyday life. Therefore, it was very important to us that Simona is deeply involved in the design process in order to make the prosthesis as user-friendly and suitable for everyday use as possible." To prepare for CYBATHLON, Team CyberTUM visited the Arm and Leg Prosthesis Series in Karlsruhe. “We consider the haptic box and the use of the scissors as the biggest challenges,” Nick says, looking forward to proving what Simona and the team can do at CYBATHLON.

About the Pilot

"I like using the prosthesis for housework and cooking. It’s simple to move and use, but for handling very fine or small things it needs to be improved," explains Simona Klima, who has been wearing her prosthesis for nine months. The scientist with a PhD in chemistry lives in Augsburg, where she teaches at the university and the university of applied sciences and also works at Technical University Munich. "I am happy when I can use the prosthesis with ease and solve all tasks – of course, I want us to win but most of all, I want to show what we have created,” emphasizes Simona. A part of her thoughts already goes to the next iteration of the prosthesis: “In the future, I hope to be involved further in the development and design of the prosthesis to make it even better."

End of page: Go to top of page