Prosthetic Fishing Rod · 9 June 06 by Jesse Crossen
Robert Haag has started another interesting project for his son Michael: a prosthetic fishing rod. The idea is to attach the rod as a terminal device on Michael’s prosthetic arm in place of the usual gripper. Pretty much anything can be made into a body-powered terminal device by attaching 1/2-20 male threads to it, although it’s a little harder to make it do something when you pull the cable.
The first stage of the project is to modify the rod so it can be attached as a terminal device. Below are the parts and the resulting device:
And here’s a video of Michael practicing his cast:
The following supplies were used:
- Shakespeare telescoping rod (Spider-Man model)
- Knurled plate with 1/2-20 and M12×1.5 threads
- PVC foam washer
The rod’s handle is trimmed about an inch from the base, then the inside is built up with hot glue and the knurled plate is super-glued into that. The joint is then sprayed with red Plasti-Dip to hide the imperfections. The washer keeps the rod from rotating when it’s screwed into the wrist. The next step is make the cable push the release button for smoother casting. Stay tuned for more detailed instructions on how to make your own prosthetic fishing rod.
