Student Designs 3D-Printed Brain-Controlled Hand

Mahonri Owen, a PhD student from Waikato University, is in the news lately for his extensive work on hands. Yes, you read that right. Owen has been spending to the tune of six hours a day, for over the last year, studying hands, designing them and 3D printing them in his lab. Backed by the noble motive of helping those physically impaired, he aims to create a prosthetic hand that the owner can completely control with his brain. So far, he has enjoyed some success in his endeavour. He has been able to create various types of prosthetic hand using micro-controllers and other off-the-shelf components.

Source: www. stuff.co.nz

Owen has already created the ‘skeleton’ of the prosthetic equipment. The process involves intricate electronics and mechanics, has over 50 major components and took him over seven hours to print. The entire process is run using Computer Aided Design (CAD), which helps in mapping out the mechanism while the components are built using a 3D printer. The printer builds the design up by laying it down one layer of 0.3 millimetre at a time, waiting for it to harden before proceeding to add the next one.

While the hands are able to carry out basic movements such as opening and closing using EEG (Electroencephalography), Owen is aiming at more sophisticated hand functions. He envisages to make the drill amputees go through less of a torment and stresses on how the joy of helping others drives him to pursue the cause.

Owen finishes his degree in 2018 and plans to continue with his research through the end.

While the whole exercise may seem like an uphill task to most beginners, good 3D CAD training can turn you into a 3D printing pro too. Get engineering CAD services at The Magnum Group at a price up to 40% lower than what you’d have to shell out in the West! All you need to do is ask for us right here.

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