In March 2019, we started the hand prosthesis project in SimLE. The project was initiated by the idea of one student who noticed a problem with the availability of cheap prostheses on the market that could be used by those in need.
The goal of the project is to create a prosthesis and give it for free to a needy person who cannot afford prosthesis available on the market.
The project consists of seven students divided into two groups. The first group’s task is to design the structure of the hand with the wrist and print all components on a 3D printer. The second group is responsible for the electronic part, selection of appropriate elements and preparation of control software.
As part of the project, we were able to complete the first attempt to print a mechanical prosthesis. It does not yet contain electronic components, it is mechanically controlled – bending one axis of the wrist causes all five fingers to bend
We are currently working on a second project in which the bending of fingers will be performed by motors. Movement will be controlled using the keyboard or remote control. Ultimately, we intend to use e.g. EMG signals from the muscles to control.