An artificial hand can be created with the help of 3D Printers
Children from middle in America are using 3-D printers to create artificial limbs for kids who were born without hands or cannot use theirs.
Each year around 1,500 babies are born in America without all body parts , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many more children lose fingers or hands in accidents. Often, they overcome their limitations thanks to medical replacements. But being able to afford these is not easy for everyone.
Children from sixth-grade science students at Alexandria Country Day School in Virginia are joining thousands of volunteers around the world in adding new meaning to the phrase “Let me give you a hand.” The students are using 3-D printers to create free , or artificial limbs, for kids.
The highlight of this feature is that no electronics are required to create robotic-looking, plastic hands.
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Sixth-graders, from left, Owen Katz, Griffen Loveng, Kyan Bowman assemble prosthetic hands in class. (Ann Cameron Siegal)
chose, the Raptor Reloaded, requires a bendable wrist to work. Flex the wrist downward, and the fingers and thumb can grip things such as bottles, balls, books or bicycle handles. Raise the wrist to release its grip.
The students joined hands with the nonprofit group Enabling the Future (also known as e-Nable). The best feature about these is that these are pretty affordable with access to a 3-D printer, a hand costs as less as $50.
The prostheses are made from commonly available materials like plastic filament, nylon cord, fishing line, Velcro and screws. Depending on the hand’s size and the speed of the 3-D printer, filament is melted to build Raptor’s 36 parts.It normally takes 10 to 18 hours. Rough edges are smoothed, then the pieces are hooked together. Screws and fishing line adjust the fingers’ grip — like adjusting tension on guitar strings. Nylon cord helps control the grip’s release. Velcro secures the prosthetic to the recipient’s wrist.
The first recipient of this will be a 10-year-old boy in New Mexico who was born without a left hand. So the prosthesis, built to his measurements, is orange and blue keeping in mind the favourite team colour.
Its price remains the highlight .
Kids needing hands can even learn how to make their own prosthetics.. As the child grows, hands can be re-sized or repaired.
These devices increase a child’s independence apart from a social benefit.