FUTURE ARM PROSTHETICS

Exploring opportunities to make upper limb prostheses more affordable, functional and appealing.

Modern electric prosthetic hands and arms are fascinating pieces of engineering, yet still there are many problems prevailing. These devices are typically very expensive, heavy, difficult to control and not very robust. Most of them have a rather robotic or puppet-like appearance. All this leads to low accessibility and low acceptance rates among users. Simpler, body-powered prostheses have been around for over 100 years, but despite their high functionality, they are only getting limited attention in today’s industry developments due to the focus on high tech.

With this project, I aim to look at how recent developments in technology (e.g. new 3D printing methods) could help creating prostheses that offer higher user benefits while making them more accessible. I believe that this could be achieved by creating simpler, more versatile devices that focus on practicability, comfort and individualisation.

MFA Degree Project
Umeå Institute of Design
Duration: 20 weeks
2024 - ongoing

In collaboration with:

01

PROCESS

Background

People with physical disabilities are often excluded and isolated. This is both due to certain bodily limitations, but also due to societal stigma. Assistive devices like prostheses or ortheses can help them to regain their mobility. This allows them to live independent, healthy and active lives and lets them partake in the society with lesser limitations. This also reduces the need for certain healthcare services (World Health Organization, 2017).

The big issues

Limited accessability

Why?

• High cost 

• Limited availability

• Lack of healthcare personnel

Low rate of acceptance

Why?

• Too little functional benefits

• Lack in comfort

• Unsatisfactory appearance & stigma

Why is it so difficult to solve this?

High individuality

functional & aesthetic requirements

High R&D costs

for a small market

Limited human resources

e.g. prosthetists

Industry

The prosthetics industry focuses on high-tech bionic prosthetics to maintain profitability. The resulting products are highly expensive, while they only add limited benefits for the users. 

Low-cost mechanical prostheses only get little attention from the industry and has seen only little advancements over the last decades.

Efforts to counter this often don‘t have the funding and the development depth to actually create beneficial solutions.

Existing products

Multi-Grip Myoelectric Prostheses

Multi-articulating electric hands controlled by myoelectric sensors are today's state of the art. They can move the fingers independently. These hands can perform a variety of grips, although users tend to use only few of them.

Pro

• Multiple grips

• No muscle strain

• contained product

• kind of human-like

Contra

• High cost

• Difficult and slow motor control.

• Low robustness.

• No sensory feedback

• High weight

• Limited battery life

• Noise

• Lack of warmth and humanness

Standard Myoelectric Prostheses

The "old" myoelectric standard prosthesis features only one opening/closing movement that can be utilized for a limited range of tasks. 

Pro

• Moderate cost

• No muscle strain

• Contained product

• kind of human-like

Contra

• Limited functionality

• High weight

• Slow control

• No sensory feedback

• Limited battery life

• Noise

• "Puppet-appearance"

Body-Powered / Mechanical Prostheses

Body-powered prostheses work by pulling a cable with your shoulder movements. These prosthesis have been around for more than 100 years, but little has changed. The are still considered to be very functional.

Pro

• Moderate costs

• Fast control

• High durability

• Natural force feedback

• Lightweight

Contra

• Limited movements

• Complex fitting of harness

• Physically demanding

• Complicated donning & doffing

• Brutal appearance

Design Opportunity

As a conclusion of my desktop, user and stakeholder research it has become clear that there are multiple opportunities to contribute to a better future of prosthetics. I see the main potential in bringing back simpler, more robust solutions that are not only more affordable, but also offer certain functional and aesthetic benefits. This could be achievable using new accessible technologies like 3D-printing.

Design of a practical, comfortable, appealing and affordable prosthesis for transradial amputees, filling the gaps the industry leaves behind.

Exploration

I'm currently in the phase of exploring different concepts via sketching and prototyping and validating ideas with users and experts.

To be continued. Stay tuned!