{"id":10655,"date":"2016-09-27T10:19:28","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T17:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.digilentinc.com\/?p=10655"},"modified":"2024-12-28T11:53:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-28T19:53:46","slug":"homemade-prosthetic-hand-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digilent.com\/blog\/homemade-prosthetic-hand-project\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Prosthetic Hand at Home?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a variety of very cool DIY animatronic hands<\/a> online, however for this project I wanted to build something that\u00a0could be reasonably applied as\u00a0a prosthetic. With this version\u00a0I was aiming more for proof of concept, however I would be interested to see what could be expanded upon with this idea. Additionally I think it could have some fun applications as a prop or even a Halloween decoration!<\/p>\n

My goals in the beginning were I\u00a0wanted\u00a0it to be reasonably priced, and something anyone\u00a0could build at home. In order to achieve even the\u00a0functionality,\u00a0I would need to include not only the mechanical hand itself, but also a control system that allowed the hand to feasibly be used as well, a hand.<\/p>\n

\"hsnf\"<\/p>\n

This presented a bit of a challenge. Modern prosthetic limbs are commonly operated in one of two\u00a0ways: Either by using EEG or some other connection that\u00a0allows it to be controlled by thought (too expensive and price-accessible headsets tend to be uncomfortable), or by tapping into existing nerves (too dangerous and complicated for a D.I.Y.\u00a0project).<\/p>\n

Eventually I settled upon a design. I figured that the most efficient way to build a truly “homemade” prosthetic hand would be to approach it less like I am trying to build an extension of the person, and more like I am building an independent robotic system that can operate in conjunction with the person. Thus the reflex-based prosthetic hand was born.<\/p>\n

This hand\u00a0functions on a reactive\u00a0basis, acting in response to its environment. The design\u00a0utilizes sensors and Pmods <\/a>to understand its surroundings, and\u00a0subsequently the users intention. It then acts upon its intuition.<\/p>\n

So for example, if it senses an object within close proximity to the palm, it will close the fingers and hold the object for ten seconds.<\/p>\n

I used the following materials for this project:<\/p>\n

Popsicle sticks<\/p>\n

String\/thread<\/p>\n

Thin coffee straws<\/p>\n

Small servo<\/p>\n

chipKIT uC32<\/a><\/p>\n

Construction paper<\/p>\n

Duct tape<\/p>\n

Hot Glue<\/p>\n

Disposable cup<\/p>\n

Cardboard<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The hand employs a\u00a0basic clasping motion. It has one degree of motion, and is capable of picking up small objects. It also is able to perform basic hand-related tasks such as a handshake or a semi-creepy wave.The motion is achieved\u00a0when the uC32 <\/a>tells the servo to\u00a0pull the strings attached to the fingers to close the hand!<\/p>\n

\"20151116_153947\"<\/p>\n

I originally set it up with an ultrasonic rangefinder so it could sense where objects were and clasp when they fell within a predetermined range.<\/p>\n