Design and Development of a Cost-Effective, 3-Fingered Prosthetic Arm
摘要
Transradial amputation, or the loss of the arm below the elbow, significantly upsets a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks and can lead to profound psychological and emotional distress. Traditional prosthetic arms are heavy, expensive, and require constant maintenance which limits their broad use. This paper presents the design of a lightweight and inexpensive prosthetic arm for people with transradial amputations. Through the utilization of 3D printing technology and the incorporation of readily available materials and off-the-shelf components, a prosthetic arm was created that is both adaptable to the needs of the individual and suitable for use in low-resource environments. The design addresses the limitations of traditional prosthetic arms, by providing a more accessible alternative that can improve the quality of life for amputees. The proposed hand has three articulated fingers: the thumb, the index, and the middle finger with 3 DOF for each finger and 1 DOF for the thumb’s abduction and adduction. Overall, the proposed design of a lightweight and cost-effective prosthetic arm for individuals with transradial amputation offers a functional and affordable alternative to traditional prosthetics.