Development of a Passive Prosthetic Hand That Restores Finger Movements Made by Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

This work aims to develop a low-cost human hand prosthesis manufactured through additive manufacturing. The methodology used for the development of the prosthesis used affordable and low-cost materials in the market. Tensile testing was performed to estimate the mechanical properties in order to verify the resistance of the printing material used. Afterwards, the mechanical feasibility study executed on the device was performed using finite element method. In conclusion, we can observe fundamental factors that influence the 3D printing process, especially in relation to its printing parameters and mechanical properties. Maximum stress, yield stress, modulus of elasticity, elongation, and hardness are the prominent properties that should be considered when choosing the polymeric material. The numerical simulation showed that the structure of the prosthesis did not present plastic deformations to the applied loads, proving its mechanical viability.

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

“…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.…”