14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printed prosthetics seem to be a dime a dozen now, or nearly, since at least one of them comes out every week now that the e-NABLE organization is gaining steam. Here is the latest prosthetic hand they have come up with.
The designer behind the new contraption is called Debby Leung, a woman who based her idea on the Cyborg Beast that effectively started the 3D printed hand trend back in April.
Even now, no one can argue that the hand is impressive. It costs fifty dollars to make instead of fifty grand, and it is better than the latter, standard prosthetics too.
It also means that it's easy and affordable to replace the prosthetic after a year or two, which is very good news for children.
And since it's not that costly to add some nice aesthetic embellishments to the things, that's what some folks at the e-NABLE group of volunteers have done. Or, rather, one volunteer has done.
The glowing 3D printed hand with color sensors
The 3D printed light show prosthetic hand can glow/shine intermittently or constantly depending on your wish and configuration of the 3D printed contraption.
Debbie Leung, with help from her husband Danny, has installed RGB LED lights in various parts of it, which can glow alone or combined. You get yellow, blue, cyan, green, magenta, and white.
The lights glow in a sequence, repeatedly, and can change patterns as well. The goal was to offer something that children could have fun with.
They also managed to provide the hand with the ability to detect colors itself. So you could, say, use the switch on the side to have all RGB LEDs emit the same color, or use the switch on the other side to detect green, blue, and red by placing a colored object in the palm (that's where the sensors are located).
This will allow the colors in your hand to match whatever you are holding in the palm of your synthetic hand or an object you may be pressing said prosthetic palm against.
The inner workings of the colorful LED hand
An Arduino electronics platform is used, with two programs running the RGB LED lights, one for each behavioral set mentioned previously. In addition to these, there is a photoresistor involved, along with four button cell batteries, two Attiny85 parts, a button, and some resistors.
What's left is to put electronic components on top of the palm, or somewhere else, and also make the hand more comfortable. Since the hand plans are open source, you can try to do that yourself as well, although Leung does plan to release a modified design before the end of October, in time for Halloween.
