One of the main goals that drives Tim Chung and the Biomechanical Robotics Group is the idea that we should be able to 3D print durable and affordable prosthetic components. The team believes that by providing a platform for programmers and engineers to develop more prosthetic hand technology and applications, they can contribute to the prosthetics field as a whole. Their current platform is the Hobby Hand 2.0, a prosthetic hand kit for education and development. A Kickstarter campaign is currently running to fund a first run of production components.
The basic components of the Hobby Hand are a microcontroller, servos, and 3D printed fingers and brackets. Kits can be purchased fully assembled or unassembled allowing users can use screwdrivers, pliers, and scissors to assemble the hand. Detailed instruction manuals will be available through the company’s website. Upgraded from the original Hobby Hand design is a split frame that will allow for more movement in a single finger and the hand as a whole. Still included with the 2.0 Hand is the starter controller board, with five sliders to control the fingers. The campaign page says that this board might be upgraded with flashier controls and a 3D printed box, but the older slider is featured in the campaign video. The Arduino platform is still the brains of the operation, able to control each of the ten servo motors in the hand.
Hobby Hand is a simple project with the lofty goals of educating people about programming and robotics while moving the field of prosthetics forward. Those are great goals and I hope that they’re successful to move this project closer to reality. The campaign video and graphics are still at maker level instead of polished commercial visuals, but the idea is easily communicated. The campaign ends on November 8, 2016 and if successfully funded units are expected to ship in March, 2017.