Development of low-cost customised hand prostheses by additive manufacturing

Abstract

The absence of hands makes human life very difficult. The development of prostheses becomes fundamental to improve living conditions. There are many types of prostheses ranging from the simplest ones, with only aesthetic function, to bionic, which have functionality closer to the human hand. Despite all actual technological progress, prices are still very high, making them inaccessible for a wide range of population. Therefore, the development of a low-cost prosthesis will allow simple actions like holding a cup, promoting a better quality of life of people without economic capacity to buy an expensive one. The e-NABLE project that aims to design and manufacture prosthetic hands in polymeric materials through additive manufacturing, tailored to meet user's specific needs. These prostheses work by flexion and extension of the wrist that produces finger movements. Currently, the prostheses provided have some limitations and conceptual problems. This work contributes to overcome these problems.