Aisha Arain

IR 1 GT, 10 GT, PD. 2

October 1, 2019
Site Visit 1

For my first site visit, I decided to travel to the Albin O. Kuhn `Library at UMBC with my

older cousin who is studying prosthetics there. I scheduled time after school at around 4:00 PM

on September 26, 2019, to go. I was searching for books that could help me get a better

understanding of the accomplishments that bioengineers and doctors have already made for the

future of prosthetics. My trip to the UMBC Library was fantastic! The campus was beautiful and

open. I was surprised by how big the library was and how many different types of sources they

had. There were lots of books on sports medicine and muscle/bone injuries that really intrigued

me. My initial plan was to try to research more effective and newer ways that could elevate the

sue of prosthetics. There was a very large selection of books from many different authors about

prosthetics and limb injuries, which was a huge advantage since I had a variety of sources to

pick from. After browsing, I decided to check out “A Complete Guide to Sports Injuries” by H.

Winter Griffith, M.D, “Sports Injuries” by Lars Peterson, MD and Per Renstrom, MD. I also

picked up “Artificial Parts”, Practical Lives edited by Katherine Ott, David Serlin, and Stephen

Mihm, and “A History of Limb Amputation” by John Kirkup. I began thinking about possible topic

ideas such as, how do the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning impact prosthetics?

Or How are sports industries using new technologies to keep athletes safer, healthier and able

to heal faster? I was considering moving out of prosthetics and focusing more on the new

modern ways that sports industries are trying to heal and protect injured athletes. On the other

hand, I could stay with prosthetics and focus on how artificial intelligence has changed the

industry of prosthetics, and lead into even newer ways to engineer them. This trip has been very

useful to me, as I was able to borrow four books to guide and begin teaching me about sports

injuries, prosthetics, and limb injuries. I am much closer to choosing my final topic.
 Aisha Arain
IR 1 GT, 10 GT, PD. 2
October 1, 2019
Site Visit 1