Victoria Hand Project looking to produce prosthetics for people injured in Ukraine war
Inside the engineering lab wing at the University of Victoria is a team of engineers working to make a difference in developing countries. The Canadian charity is called the Victoria Hand Project.
“(We're a group) that designs and deploys 3D-printed prosthetic arms,” said Michael Peirone, CEO of the Victoria Hand Project.
The prosthetic arms are able to open and close through shoulder movements.
“The reason why we use body-powered devices is that it keeps the costs much lower,” said Peirone.
The cost is roughly $300 to produce a device to help a person in need of prosthetics in one of the eight countries where the hand project currently operates.
Peirone said the ongoing war in Ukraine has the charity looking to add a ninth country to its list.
Dramatic injuries to both soldiers and citizens in Ukraine are happening daily.
“Earlier today, I was speaking to another group that is helping in the region and they said that it could be around 10,000 people that need prosthetic limbs,” said Peirone.
The engineering of the arms happens on the UVic campus. The printers and materials are sent to the different countries for manufacturing, creating jobs and allowing local clinicians to properly fit the arms.
The charity is now looking for contacts in Ukraine that will help it to establish an operation in that country.
“It’s very rewarding to have worked on a project and see it have an impact on peoples lives,” said Kim Arklie, lab researcher with Biomedical Systems Design Lab and the University of Victoria.
Arklie helped design the hands. She has seen the impact that a prosthetic arm can have on someone’s life.
“I think getting into Ukraine will make a significant difference in people's lives there and give them the opportunity to have low-cost prosthetic care,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.