Thomas Keady ’18 is a design engineer at Fusiform, makers of a modular orthotics device and software platform designed to cut down on cost and time of manufacturing. Fusiform was recently awarded funding through AccelerateBaltimore, an initiative of the Abell Foundation and ETC(Emerging Technology Centers), Baltimore’s award-winning incubator.
How did you become interested in electrical and computer engineering?
It was the little green boards inside computers and other electronics I opened up as a kid. They just looked cool! I wanted to know how they work.
What made you choose Johns Hopkins University?
The people. Each person is really driven about something and doing amazing work on it. I love talking with other students about their projects.
How did you get involved with Fusiform? What’s your role?
I had a friend who knew Alex, one of the founders. I built a portable force sensing platform to collect data on the forces experienced by orthotic devices when in use. Next I’m going to learn how to program robots to manufacture our orthotics.
What are you most interested in learning through AccelerateBaltimore?
As an engineer working at a startup, I want to learn how to most effectively use our limited monetary resources for both producing our product and research and development.
What kind of impact do you hope to make as an engineer?
Engineering introduces you to a whole new world of great toys. But I find it even more enjoyable that you can make life better for people. Who doesn’t want to improve people’s mobility with cheaper, more effective prosthetics, faster?