Eastman Innovation Lab Explores What’s Next in the World of Prosthetics

This past week, Eastman Innovation Lab and Altair Thinklabs, a product development design firm, hosted a breakfast seminar at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) International Conference in Austin, Texas to present an exploration of the world of prosthetics through design and materials.

Newsarticle Body Why prosthetics?  Eastman recently announced its support of Blake Leeper, the “American Blade Runner,” as the company’s health and wellness ambassador. Born with a birth defect that led to a lifetime of prosthetic legs, Blake has always been determined to be a star athlete. He grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, playing sports and living life to the fullest. He never accepted that he had a disability and is now on his way to compete in both the 2016 Paralympic and Olympic Games for Team USA.

It all began with Blake presenting to a group of engineers at Eastman. The presentation turned into a brainstorming session as the Eastman team members immediately began thinking of ways to improve his running blades. Since that initial presentation, Eastman has connected Blake with a design firm that is addressing the broader issue of prosthetic design.

“We are all working together on a project that will hopefully change the future and quality of life for people who use prosthetic legs,” stated Blake.

While the project is still in development, Eastman, Altair and Blake have high hopes that it could change the face of prosthetic design.

Check out this video to learn more about the project.