Calhoun and Jacob Price don't consider themselves superheroes, but what they have done for an 8-year-old boy is "super" extraordinary-and showcases how technology and the innovative spirit can make a significant difference in an individual life.

Indiana boy whose longitudinal deficiency had severely limited the use of his right arm since birth. Daniel wished to join his classmates in riding a bicycle, swinging a baseball bat, or having fun on the playground.

arm with two hooks to pinch things-hence the device's affectionate "Pinchy" name-as a senior year capstone biomedical engineering project. Following the development process was a film crew from Siemens for a video that has become an Internet sensation after being featured on YouTube and the company's international websites as part of the "answers" campaign about 

real people being impacted by Siemens technology. (See story on Page 14.)

   "Daniel is an awesome kid. The Wilsons are an awesome family and I could not be more grateful with being given this opportunity," says Price, a 2012 graduate who is now a staff validation engineer for 

   Calhoun, now a biomedical engineering graduate student at Ohio State University, adds: "Taking the prosthetic from the drawing board to fruition was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. Through all the

   He continues, "There were a few times during the process where it seemed like there just wasn't enough time to finish it. On a Friday evening, one of our last days to work on the project, we made one final push and got it finished. It wasn't until we arrived at Daniel's house a couple days later when we realized what we had just done. We had gone beyond all expectations and created something to

   Daniel has cherished the device since receiving it in May, not wanting to break it, says his mother, Emily. She originally sought Rose-Hulman's assistance after reading about a similar project completed by biomedical engineering students the year before.

   "The impact that this project has had on Daniel's life can't be described in words," she says. "The relationship that

   Elizabeth, Daniel's precocious sister (also featured in the video), observes, "(Pinchy) wasn't just a prosthetic. It meant so much more to Daniel than we can even imagine. He's always willing to

   Pinchy was one of 12 biomedical engineering projects completed by seniors during the 2011-12 school year, under the supervision of professors Kay C Dee, Ph.D, Glen Livesay, Ph.D., and Renee Rogge, Ph.D.

   "Real projects for real clients help our students make real connections to what they can do with engineering," states Livesay. "The team that worked with Daniel really exemplifies what we're striving for in design: creative solutions and lots of hard work that enable our students to have a strong, positive impact on the lives of people in our community."

   Dee adds, "Design projects let our students use all of the skills in their 'toolbox'-professionalism, creativity, technical knowledge, interpersonal, and communication skills, independent time management skills, hands-on building, and technical documentation skills. These are incredible learning opportunities for our students."