Okezue Bell
Founder and Director at Fidutam,
Founder and Lead Developer at WeArm,
High School Senior at Moravian Academy,
Easton, Pennsylvania, USA / Black/African American
👨 he/him/his
🎓 Senior at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (also taking dual enrollment college courses in mathematics and computer science)
😁 Okezue is a big fan of Japanese culture and cuisine, especially sweets!
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Okezue builds affordable prosthetic arms for amputees using artificial intelligence and 3D printing.
ABOUT HIS WORK
Okezue saw the lack of community-responsive applications in computer science, so this led him to seek to develop solutions to cater toward the underserved. After meeting an amputee, Okezue invented the WeArm, an inexpensive prosthetic device that uses artificial intelligence, 3D-printing, and haptic technology to accurately and easily mimic the behavior of a human hand. Okezue will pilot the WeArm in underserved clinics in Nigeria and Bosnia in 2023. The innovation has been recognized internationally by Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and more. Okezue uses his platform to uplift youth—especially those of marginalized groups—informing them of how to innovate and exposing them to STEM fields.
WATCH & DISCUSS
Watch: Okezue Bell BioGENEIus 2022 Winner
Discuss:
What was Okezue’s inspiration for creating a low-cost functional prosthetic arm?
What is something you would like to create that would help others?
What could be a first step in creating this?
OTHER RESOURCES
Okezue Bell (website)
BCI Project Log- introduction to projects
ARTICLES
Young Change Makers: Why and How Okezue Bell of The Knowledge Society is Helping To Change Our World
What’s one example of how Ozekue makes a difference with his startup company Fidutam?
Do you have technology ideas that you are passionate about?
Why is age/education status a limitation for Okezue and other young innovators?
How does Ozeku use AI for Good?
Embracing the Unconventional: A High School Junior Making a Difference (podcast)Faces of Entrepreneurship: Okezue Bell, Fidutam
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Learn More about 3D printing in computer science
ADVICE TO YOUNGER SELF
Okezue first learned computer science in elementary school.
“Finding a community not only makes fields like coding fun, but it allows you to gain perspectives and insights that increase your creativity when using the tools in CS. Connecting with thousands of youth, scientists, and coders of color around the globe has been an invaluable experience for me. It's enabled me to dream big, develop useful solutions in my local and global community, and expand my circle of competence.”
