MAKER: Designing and building a prosthetic hand for a high school engineering design course

American Society for Engineering Education, 2018. This paper describes a high school-level engineering design project in which students design and build a prosthetic hand. Students use Tinkercad to modify a basic 3D hand design, print the parts using a 3D printer, and assemble the hand. They then integrate the hand with electromyography (EMG) sensors and an Arduino board. The EMG sensors detect arm muscle activation via electric potential. The Arduino board translates the EMG signals into finger movements. The final goal is successful execution of a daily-life task such as picking up a piece of paper, paper money, or a coin; holding a water bottle or a pen/pencil/paint brush; or gripping a toothbrush. The project allows students to learn about CAD, 3D printing, sensors, and Arduino programming in the context of solving a real-world problem, and helps raise their awareness of disabilities. The equipment cost for the project is less than $150 per hand assembly.

MAKER: Designing and building a prosthetic hand for a high school engineering design course Conference Paper