The best bionic prosthesis
The Dyson Prize in the UK was awarded for a 3D-printed brush
Margarita Paimakova, Vesti
A prototype of a mechanical prosthetic arm printed on a 3D printer brought its creators, the British robotics company Open Bionics, a victory in the James Dyson National Award.
The company, based in Bristol, claims that their project can become an inexpensive alternative to currently existing prostheses, while specialists can create an individual robotic arm in 2 days. As a rule, such products are manufactured for several weeks or even months.
Joel Gibbard, one of the creators of the robotic arm, claims that currently he can calculate the size of an individual model in a matter of minutes using a tablet equipped with special sensors. 3D printing of the parts takes 40 hours, and bringing them together takes about two hours.
"We hope to start commercial production in 2016," says Gibbard, "our device is quite affordable and functional at the same time. At the same time, it is very light and can be customized for each person. The hand is a robotic "skeleton" covered with a kind of skin, for which you can create an individual style and design."
Joel Gibbard (right), one of the creators of the robotic arm (here and below – photo of Open Bionics).
The 25-year-old inventor believes that the final cost of the device will be about £ 1-2 thousand. As a rule, only non-functional, cosmetic prostheses are sold for a similar price, but hands with controlled fingers cost customers £ 20-60 thousand. Such a price can be prohibitively high for disabled people, especially for children who have to change a prosthesis almost every year because they are still growing.
The Open Bionics design relies on myoelectric signals, that is, detects muscle contractions through sensors attached to the wearer's skin and uses them to control the movements of the mechanical palm.
The user of the hand does not feel the touch of the fingers (although some modern prostheses may allow this). But the hand has sensors that can show when it comes into contact with an object so that the user can adjust the pressure. Thus, the owners of the prosthesis will be able to manipulate quite fragile objects.
Gibbard, however, believes that his design still has some limitations.
"We use low–cost engines to reduce the cost, but they are inferior to those built into high-end devices," he explains. "However, we continue to look for compromises that will eventually allow people to handle all the items they would like."
Currently, the Open Bionics team receives a reward of £2,220 for its victory, but in the future it will fight for the international title with other national winners. The prize fund of the international competition will be $ 45 thousand.
However, for the creators of such projects, not only the cash prize is important. By participating in international design competitions, they first of all receive international publicity for their project, recognition of their invention.
"Disabled people live in all countries. For example, in Sierra Leone, the civil war left many people with amputated limbs," comments Barbara Jemec, founder of the British Foundation for Reconstructive Surgery. – Disabled people in poor regions should also have access to reliable and affordable prostheses. A working hand can help them earn a living and take care of themselves and their family. I will follow the development of the project with interest."
Open Bionics launched its project in 2013. It all started with a crowdfunding campaign, which was supported by the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Since then, the design has been redesigned about 10 times, with the number of parts significantly reduced.
Initially, the prosthesis consisted of plastic parts, but this is not the most durable material, so now it has been replaced with a flexible and elastic thermoplastic elastomer. This made it possible to develop flexible joints for the prosthesis and make it more resistant to shock loads.
Currently, the prosthesis is available only for those patients who have preserved the forearm. However, in the future, the developers hope to create a robotic arm for those whose limb is amputated above the elbow.
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31.08.2015