Design and Analysis of Flexible Joints for a Robust 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand

Alkhatib, Farah; Mahdi, E.; Cabibihan, John-John

doi:10.1109/icorr.2019.8779372

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Surprisingly almost all research describing 3D printed BP hand designs do not report pinch forces. 5,10,11,13,16,17 Just one other paper reports grasping force measurements of a 3D printed hand (0.5–1 N for precision grasping), but without their corresponding activation forces. 34 In our design the pinch force achieved (16.84 N @ 100 N activation force) is superior to other fully 3D printed BP prosthetic hand (∼6 N @ 100 N activation force) 8 but still below that of conventional BP hand prostheses (20–58 N @ 100 N).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous hand prostheses produced by 3D printing are typically articulated by hinged joints, are assembled with screws and driven and stabilized by cables or mechanical linkages. 9–14 Others have rather opted for 3D printed compliant mechanisms such as joints and/or extensors of the fingers, 8,15–17 but still using conventional driving mechanisms. Bio inspiration then serves as design alternative founded on the idea that biological designs are different, and that in this difference new and smart solutions can be found that we do not find in conventional technical approaches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design of a 3D-printed hand prosthesis featuring articulated bio-inspired fingers

Cuellar

Plettenburg

Zadpoor

et al. 2020

Proc Inst Mech Eng H

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Various upper-limb prostheses have been designed for 3D printing but only a few of them are based on bio-inspired design principles and many anatomical details are not typically incorporated even though 3D printing offers advantages that facilitate the application of such design principles. We therefore aimed to apply a bio-inspired approach to the design and fabrication of articulated fingers for a new type of 3D printed hand prosthesis that is body-powered and complies with basic user requirements. We first studied the biological structure of human fingers and their movement control mechanisms in order to devise the transmission and actuation system. A number of working principles were established and various simplifications were made to fabricate the hand prosthesis using a fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer with dual material extrusion. We then evaluated the mechanical performance of the prosthetic device by measuring its ability to exert pinch forces and the energy dissipated during each operational cycle. We fabricated our prototypes using three polymeric materials including PLA, TPU, and Nylon. The total weight of the prosthesis was 92 g with a total material cost of 12 US dollars. The energy dissipated during each cycle was 0.380 Nm with a pinch force of ≈16 N corresponding to an input force of 100 N. The hand is actuated by a conventional pulling cable used in BP prostheses. It is connected to a shoulder strap at one end and to the coupling of the whiffle tree mechanism at the other end. The whiffle tree mechanism distributes the force to the four tendons, which bend all fingers simultaneously when pulled. The design described in this manuscript demonstrates several bio-inspired design features and is capable of performing different grasping patterns due to the adaptive grasping provided by the articulated fingers. The pinch force obtained is superior to other fully 3D printed body-powered hand prostheses, but still below that of conventional body powered hand prostheses. We present a 3D printed bio-inspired prosthetic hand that is body-powered and includes all of the following characteristics: adaptive grasping, articulated fingers, and minimized post-printing assembly. Additionally, the low cost and low weight make this prosthetic hand a worthy option mainly in locations where state-of-the-art prosthetic workshops are absent.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a 3D-printed hand prosthesis featuring articulated bio-inspired fingers

Cuellar

Plettenburg

Zadpoor

et al. 2020

Proc Inst Mech Eng H

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“…This movement could be from the chest, shoulder, elbow, or wrist depending on the level of amputation. The flexion of the fingers depends on the tension force of the non-elastic cables, while the extension of the fingers depends on the restorative effect of the elastic cord that has a certain amount of flexibility, which then allows the return of the fingers to their natural pose (Alkhatib et al, 2019b ).…”

Section: Openly Accessible 3d Printed Prosthetic Handsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suitability of the Openly Accessible 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands for War-Wounded Children

et al. 2021

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The field of rehabilitation and assistive devices is being disrupted by innovations in desktop 3D printers and open-source designs. For upper limb prosthetics, those technologies have demonstrated a strong potential to aid those with missing hands. However, there are basic interfacing issues that need to be addressed for long term usage. The functionality, durability, and the price need to be considered especially for those in difficult living conditions. We evaluated the most popular designs of body-powered, 3D printed prosthetic hands. We selected a representative sample and evaluated its suitability for its grasping postures, durability, and cost. The prosthetic hand can perform three grasping postures out of the 33 grasps that a human hand can do. This corresponds to grasping objects similar to a coin, a golf ball, and a credit card. Results showed that the material used in the hand and the cables can withstand a 22 N normal grasping force, which is acceptable based on standards for accessibility design. The cost model showed that a 3D printed hand could be produced for as low as $19. For the benefit of children with congenital missing limbs and for the war-wounded, the results can serve as a baseline study to advance the development of prosthetic hands that are functional yet low-cost.

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“…Prostheses appearing on the market are more and more often focused on attracting customers with their appearance. In the works [ 45 , 46 , 47 ], 3D printing is used for the production of individual components of the robot hand. The manufactured elements are easily modifiable and constitute a significant part of the prototype elements, which are easy to manufacture with reduced costs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upper Limb Design of an Anthropometric Crash Test Dummy for Low Impact Rates

et al. 2020

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The article presents the design of the upper limb joints of an anthropometric dummy intended for rear crash tests for low impact speeds. These joints represent the connection of the hand to the forearm, the forearm to the arm, and the arm to the shoulder. The designed joint is adapted to the construction of a dummy representing the 50th percentile male. The joints currently used on Hybrid III dummies require calibration after each crash test. The construction of the new joint ensures the appropriate strength of individual joint elements and the repeatable value of the joint characteristics without the need for frequent calibrations. The designed joints have the ability to set a variable stiffness characteristic, thanks to which it is possible to use this joint universally in dummies representing populations of other percentile sizes. The range of movement of the joints has been selected to reflect the range of mobility of the upper limb of an adult. The characteristics of the joints were compared with those used in the joints of the Hybrid III 50 percentile male dummy. Moreover, it should be noted that the constructed joints of the upper limb are made by hand; therefore, their comparison with the Hybrid III dummy shows some deviations in the moments of resistance. Making the joints with a 3D printer, taking into account the appropriate material, will ensure greater accuracy and will also result in joining the individual elements of the joint into a whole. The obtained results show slight differences between the moment of resistance in the joints of the constructed anthropometric dummy compared to the hybrid III dummy.

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Design and Analysis of Flexible Joints for a Robust 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand

Cited by 24 publications

References 34 publications

Design of a 3D-printed hand prosthesis featuring articulated bio-inspired fingers

Design of a 3D-printed hand prosthesis featuring articulated bio-inspired fingers

Suitability of the Openly Accessible 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands for War-Wounded Children

Upper Limb Design of an Anthropometric Crash Test Dummy for Low Impact Rates

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