Editors Help Writers Develop Content

Part of an editor’s job is to help other writers report stories in ways that are deeper, more appropriate, and hopefully more interesting to readers. A story about biomechatronics engineer Hugh Herr below provides a great example of how getting another perspective from an independent, third-party person (the editor), can help make a story more effective in terms of creating awareness about a technology or technical product.

The story of Hugh Herr is incredible - a double amputee who designed his own bionic legs so he could go mountain climbing (which is how he originally lost both legs beneath the knees to frostbite).

When the story arrived in the editor’s inbox, it immediately caught his attention because he had himself been paralyzed and unable to walk or climb for a part of his life. But the technical editor’s job is not to focus on what his/her particular interests are. The editor’s job is to focus on the information wants and needs of his readers. Readers of the editor’s magazine in this case were product design engineers, many of who were also users of software that help enable 3D modeling and prototyping of products.

So what this editor did to help the writers of original Herr story was to think of questions his readers would want to ask if given the opportunity. He posed the questions to Herr and got the additional input from Herr about the professional use of the software. The editor also added an important link at the end of the story that went to Herr’s website where his new BIOM legs are shown. And in addition to a few edits to the text and some re-organization of sentences, the editor came up with a new headline that worked with the story on multiple levels.

Pasted below is the original story as it came to the magazine. Pasted after the original story is the set of questions the editor asked to Mr Herr. Herr’s responses to the questions are included with the questions. Lastly, we have pasted the edited story with input from the editor’s questions, so you could see the improved story and how it worked better for the technical content of the magazine.

Original Herr Story submitted

Hugh Herr is the director of the Biomechatronics Group at the MIT Media Lab. He is famous for his revolutionary work in the emerging field of biomechatronics – creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs.

After having ascended a difficult technical ice route in Huntington Ravine in New Hampshire, Herr and a fellow climber were caught in a blizzard and became disoriented, ultimately descending into the Great Gulf where they passed three nights in −20 °F (−29 °C) degree temperatures. By the time they were rescued, the climbers had suffered severe frostbite. Both of Herr's legs had to be amputated below the knees Herr was doing what doctors told him was unthinkable: climbing again. Using specialized prostheses that he designed, he created prosthetic feet with high toe stiffness that made it possible to stand on small rock edges the width of a coin,

Herr designed his own bionic legs, the world’s first bionic foot and calf system called the BiOM. And he designed the legs using Solidworks 3D design technology from Dassault Systèmes.

The video linked here shows Hugh presenting in front of an audience of designers in San Diego, and then revealing that he not only designed the bionic limbs – but pulling up his pants to show that he also wears the devices himself.

Dassault Systems http://www.3ds.com/

Solidworks www.Solidworks.com

Hugh Herr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6s7dLLVHE; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scxIog5JLY)

Editor's Questions

What Solidworks tools did Mr. Herr use?

HERR: My MIT research group uses Solidworks Simulation Premium.

How did these tools help enable the development of BIOM?

HERR: My MIT research group, as well as my company iWalk, have always used Solidworks. Thus, Solidworks was used in the design of all mechanical aspects of the BiOM.

How long has Mr. Herr used Solidworks?

HERR: There has never been a time when I have not used Solidworks.

Why did he choose Solidworks?

HERR: The learning curve for Solidworks is minimal, allowing rapid use by new incoming students. Integrated software subsystems including dynamic FEA modules, enable a comprehensive modeling tool.

Final Herr Story Published with Input From Questions

Engineer Walks the Walk

Double-amputee designed his own bionic legs with Solidworks 3D design technology from Dassault Systèmes.

Hugh Herr is more than the director of the Biomechatronics Group at the MIT Media Lab. He is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs.

After having ascended a difficult ice route in Huntington Ravine in New Hampshire, Herr and a fellow climber were caught in a blizzard and became disoriented, ultimately descending into the Great Gulf where they passed three nights in −20 °F (−29 °C) degree temperatures. By the time they were rescued, the climbers had suffered severe frostbite. Both of Herr's legs had to be amputated below the knees.

Herr went on to do what doctors told him was unthinkable. He climbed again, using specialized prostheses that he designed. He created prosthetic feet with high toe stiffness that made it possible to stand on small rock edges the width of a coin.

Herr designed, the world’s first bionic foot and calf system, which is called the BiOM. The legs were designed using Solidworks 3D design technology from Dassault Systèmes.

“My MIT research group, as well as my company iWalk, have always used Solidworks,” says Herr.” His MIT research group uses Solidworks Simulation Premium. “ Solidworks was used in the design of all mechanical aspects of the BiOM. The learning curve for Solidworks is minimal, allowing rapid use by new incoming students. Integrated software subsystems including dynamic FEA modules, enable a comprehensive modeling tool,” says Herr.

The video linked below shows Hugh presenting in front of an audience of designers in San Diego, and then revealing that he not only designed the bionic limbs – but pulling up his pants to show that he also wears the devices himself.

Hugh Herr Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6s7dLLVHE; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scxIog5JLY) that show

Dassault Systems http://www.3ds.com/

Solidworks www.Solidworks.com

iWalk BIOM: http://www.biom.com

#Editing #writing #mediarelations