At Michigan State University, discarded bicycles are finding new life - and not in the way you might think.
The senior capstone project for the MSU College of Engineering – a collaboration between MSU Bikes, the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), and a group of senior engineering students – explores how old bikes can be transformed into affordable, do-it yourself prosthetic limbs. The project aims to bring mobility and dignity to people in underserved communities around the world.
Ben Hogan, a former student mechanic and one of MSU Bikes’ first hires, now works as a certified prosthetist. His career in prosthetics, combined with a deep knowledge of bicycle mechanics, laid the foundation for this initiative. After working in Guatemala, Hogan witnessed firsthand the overwhelming need for accessible prosthetics.
"Very often, amputees in these areas don’t have access to a prosthetic limb," explained Jordyn Porter, one of the MSU mechanical engineering seniors involved in the project. This is due to a lack of accessibility and the high cost of modern prosthetics. Meanwhile, bikes are everywhere—abandoned, rusting, and ready to be repurposed."
Hogan’s idea was simple but powerful: leverage the strength and structure of bicycle frames and many of their parts to create low-cost prosthetics that could be assembled with common tools and limited resources.
Working closely with Hogan and supported by MSU Bikes, the team of senior mechanical engineering students which included Sydney Bush, Breanna Marsin, Jordyn Porter, Corey Smith, and Abbey Yager and led by faculty advisor Lik-Chuan Lee, spent the semester designing, prototyping, and testing a lower-limb prosthetic built primarily from bike parts. Their goal was to make something durable, safe, and—most importantly—reproducible with minimal tools and materials.
"Everything was bent by hand," said Porter. "We used only basic tools like wrenches and screwdrivers—things people are likely to have on hand or in a basic repair shop."
Learn more about how MSU students are helping to create accessible prosthetics.
Story courtesy of Infrastructure Planning and Facilities.
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page