Oct. 30, 2014 | By Alec
We've been seeing so many wonderful examples of 3D printed prosthetics, it almost goes without saying that 3D printing technology is a perfect and affordable alternative to traditional prosthetic production. Not only are hand and arm prosthetics becoming more available thanks to 3D printing, they also cost a fraction of the price. Instead of a $50,000 medical bill, an open-source 3D printed prosthetic only costs around $50 in filament. It's also far easier to customize them to attain a perfect fit.
However, most of these prosthetics are plastic constructions with a mechanical grip. Simply flick your wrist up or downwards, and the fingers move inwards or outwards. That's what makes this new prosthetic, made by Bristol engineer and roboticist Joel Gibbard so fascinating. Unlike other wonderful examples of 3D printed prosthetics, Joel has developed a bionic prosthetic with an electronic grip. This cool feature, alongside its futuristic appearance, has already spurred comparisons to Luke Skywalker's robotic hand from Star Wars.
The recipient of this cool hand is Daniel Melville, a young man from Reading, UK, who was born without a hand himself. He contacted Joel after coming across his crowd-funding campaign a year ago, and volunteered to help Joel test his creations. Joel scanned his right arm at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory with a 3D sensor, which was then used to create a mesh.
This prosthetic was then printed on a FDM 3D printer. Reportedly, it took some 40 hours to 3D print the hand.
Daniel's reaction was ecstatic, as Bristol Post revealed: 'It fitted like a glove. I can't believe how easy that was. Usually I'd have to have a mould taken of my arm then wait weeks or months to get the socket.' Daniel revealed he had owned a prosthetic in the past, but stopped wearing it as it got in the way.
This is great now and it will continue to get better but it would have been amazing to have this when I was younger. I would have loved a 3D-printed Power Ranger hand. It would have made me feel better about my difference. There are robotic hands out there that I can buy but they're more expensive than my car. Who can afford that?
Joel was also very pleased with the hand, that incorporates electronic sensors to pick up muscle movements of Daniel's arm. That way, the grip responds perfectly to Daniel's intentions. 'It was heart-warming to see something I've been working on for a year give someone some extra capabilities. Watching Dan write, pick things up, and just play with stuff was pretty exciting for everyone. I did get to shake the hand I made on Dan and it was a bit surreal.'
While this hand is unique for now, more versions are soon to follow. Joel has founded the company Open Bionics in Bristol, which aims to have an affordable robotic prosthetic on the market next year. And Joel is already hard at work to realise this: 'The next hand I've designed weighs half the amount as that prototype which will make a huge difference for the user and it looks far better.'
Also check out Joel Gibbard talking about bionic hands at the TEDx in Exeter earlier this year:
Posted in 3D Design
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Amazing ! This is what 3D Printing should be about !
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