Advanced prosthetic limbs can make life easier for a lot of folks. They are not affordable for everyone though. Open Bionics is creating prosthetic devices with 3D mechanical parts to bring the costs down. Open Bionics is developing a bionic hand that costs $1200, which is much cheaper than $35000 that would cost you to get a comparable prosthetic from other manufacturers.
These bionic hands work through sensors placed on the wearer’s arm. The hand moves when specific muscles are flexed. The fingers move independently and support various gripping modes. As Ultimaker explains:
3D printing plays a vital part in the development of the Open Bionics hand. After 3D scanning the wearer’s residual limb, a prosthetic design is made in 3D modeling software, after which both the hand and its socket are 3D printed. As all the mechanical components of the hand can be 3D printed, it becomes a cost-effective alternative to the traditional, expensive prosthetic.
Open Bionics hands are made of rigid and flexible materials. (TPU and PLA). Pretty impressive if you ask us. More info is available here.
