Lending a Helping Hand with Michigan Neuroprosthetics

Abstract

Michigan Neuroprosthetics Design Team strives to develop cost effective, 3D printed, transradial arm prostheses. Our clients are children who cannot afford to invest in a neurologically controlled prosthesis that will be quickly outgrown. As a member of the mechanical subteam, I am responsible for designing the arm in Fusion 360. The design goals for the 2020 design cycle were to reduce the weight of the forearm, separate the battery compartment for simplified charging, redesign the string channels in the palm to reduce tangling, and perform mechanical testing to address design weaknesses. These goals, along with additional design changes, were met with the exception of physical mechanical testing. COVID-19 prohibited in-person meeting, so Finite Element Analysis (FEA) testing was performed instead.