I designed a Bionic Prosthetic Hand, which has the capability to be fully 3D printable enabling it to be a DIY constructible kit for amputees. The design themes I encompassed into the prosthetic are; Accessibility, Sociability and the integration of robotic elements within the design.
- To provide greater accessibility for the consumer is to create a prosthetic into a robust design, which requires simple joinery and limited robotic system whilst providing full degrees of freedom and joint articulation.
- Sociability is achieved due to the influence of enhancing aesthetics whilst not impacting its initial functionality or user comfort. Creating a desirable mobile device that is comfortable for everyday use with socially acceptable aesthetics. Resulting in prosthetics becoming like any other device such as mobile phones, extending your digital self, consequently constructing a sociably desirable device. Subsequently, it becomes a statement of fashion and status to be able to own such a device.
-The elements of the robotic function can disadvantage both prosthetics accessibility and sociability. The joints and materials all impact this ideal goal. As joints and materials can negatively impact the overall grip-strength of the prosthetic. Resolving this by designing robust and simplistic ball joint whilst using a variation of materials on suitable surfaces of the prophetic causing grater grip-strength and mobility. The bionic functionality would be achievable via the use of compact battery packs and a form of a stepper motor that would be integrated into the four-arm enabled via sensors for full hand articulation.
These are the factors that I solved and were the main considerations when I designed the prosthetic. Making a harmonious moderation of these three influential factors, providing greater accessibility, sociability and element functionality to the overall design. Creating an accessible outlet for body modification to augment the self, proposing an alternate future.