Step back into your passion
A below-knee prosthetic designed for street performers, offering an affordable solution that enhances flexibility and performance. By reusing existing prosthetic components and integrating innovative parts, Cypher empowers amputees to reclaim their passion for dance and artistry without the financial burden of high-end prosthetics.
Sustainability
How It works
Reusing existing socket, shin tube, and foot of a traditional prosthetic to lower the cost, making it more affordable for street performer.
Problem Discovery
Street performers’ earnings are extremely inconsistent, with an average of $1-$200 per hour depending on locations and other factors. Obtaining a most basic prosthesis around $7,000 is considered the most they could afford. Yet, basic prosthesis comes with lack of protection and flexibility that most users struggled.
Economics of Prosthetics
This perceptual map visualizes the current positioning of below-knee prosthetic companies based on price and performance. While premium brands like Össur and Ottobock dominate the high price and high-performance quadrant, affordable brands such as iFIT Prosthetics focus on cost-effective solutions with basic functionality. Notably, the low-price, high-performance quadrant remains underserved, presenting an opportunity to innovate prosthetics that combine advanced functionality with affordability, bridging the gap for a broader range of users.
Opportunity
How Might We
make high-performance prosthetics accessible
for street performing amputees
so that they can regain mobility and reclaim their passion in movement without being constrained by cost
Design & Development
Ideation & rapid prototyping
Form Study
Exploring forms inspired by the expressive styles and preferences of potential users.
Dynamic Ankle Flexibility
Eccentric cam actuates two directions
Top adapter
Metal rod
Top contact
Spring element
Bottom contact
Spherical element tucking into the openings to lock motion in place
Material Testing
Pattern and density testing on 3D printed TPU as a simulation of real rubber.
The selected pattern, including its gaps and proportions, has been carefully refined with engineering considerations, such as rounded corners, to alleviate stress concentrations and improve material performance under compression.
