Planet Arduino

The cost of a new prosthetic arm can range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands, putting them out of reach for many people. Ahmad Ikram recognized this need and decided to design and build a far cheaper, open source version that has myoelectric capabilities.

To begin this project, Ikram decided upon using the InMoov 3D-printed arm design from French sculptor Gael Langevin due to it being easy to construct. The hand itself contains a single wire connected to each finger, while the other end gets wrapped around a servo motor horn so that the finger can bend whenever the serv moves. A Myoware muscle sensor is responsible for reading the electrical signals generated by muscle contractions and converting them into a readable analog voltage, which is read by an Arduino Nano’s analog pin.

The program Ikram created for the Arduino simply takes continuous readings from the myoelectric sensor and checks if it above a certain threshold. Once it is, the servos are set to a position for contracting the finger, otherwise it releases tension from the wire and makes the fingers return to their original position.

To see more about this project, you can read Ikram’s post here on Instructables and watch its demo video below.

The post Designing a 3D-printed EMG bionic hand as a low-cost alternative to prosthetic limbs appeared first on Arduino Blog.

You probably don’t want to lose a leg, but if you have to there are many options now that were unthinkable not long ago. That is, if you can afford them. A microprocessor knee — a prosthetic with some smarts in it — can run anywhere from $25,000 to well over $100,000. However [Lucas Galey], a PhD candidate at the University of Texas El Paso in a recent paper claims to be able to produce a comparable artificial knee for under $1,000. If the paper is too long to read, Amplitude has a good summary including what it means to people who need them.

Of course, the cost of making something like this is almost incidental. The cost of approvals, testing, and other factors mean that even with about $500 in parts, the retail price would be much higher. Probably not $25,000, though.

In the device is an Arduino and some sensors that monitor the user’s gait among other things. Apparently [Lucas] volunteers with an organization called LIMBS International that provides prosthetics to people in developing nations. His design in an outgrowth of a low-cost passive knee developed by the organization. That knee, however, doesn’t meet Federal standards, so you can’t get one in the United States.

We know of at least one 3-D printed prosthetic leg. We’ve also looked more than once at mind controlling prosthetic devices.

To help a patient in his country with a congenital limb deficiency, Buzi Nguyen has designed a 3D-printed transhumeral—above the elbow—prosthesis prototype. The device features 10 degrees of freedom, including independent control of four fingers and a thumb, along with movement capabilities for the wrist and forearm.

The prosthesis is powered by a number of Arduino boards and a Raspberry Pi, and equipped with computer vision to track and choose grip patterns for object handling. It can also potentially be operated via brain-computer interface and electromyography.

A demonstrate of all the currently supported features can be seen in the video below.

3D-printed appendages are, as one might suspect, generally meant for those that are missing a limb. Moreover, there are many other people that might retain partial functionality of a hand, but could still use assistance.

Youbionic’s beautifully 3D-printed, myoelectric prosthesis is envisioned for either application, capable of being controlled by muscle contraction as if it were a real body part.

As seen in the video below, the Youbionic hand can manipulate many different items, including a small box, a water bottle, and a set of keys. Functionality aside, the movement is extremely fluid and the smooth black finish really makes it look great.

The device is currently equipped with an Arduino Micro, servos, various sensors, a battery pack, and a few switches. Even the breadboard appears to be very neat, though one would suspect the final version will use some sort of PCB.

You can learn more and order yours on Youbionic’s website.

Eyedrivomatic uses the same technology utilized for text-to-speech in order to build a motorized wheelchair you can move with your eyes.

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The post Eye-Tracking Wheelchair Control Design Wins Hackaday Prize appeared first on Make: DIY Projects, How-Tos, Electronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers.

One of our prime passions is to motivate the next great minds and ideas by posting informative step-by-step tutorials. To celebrate the launch of our fourth-generation muscle sensor, the MyoWare, we’ve put together a tutorial that will make you go berserk! This tutorial will teach you to build bionic claws using […]

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The post 3D Printed Bionic Claws with MyoWare Muscle Sensors appeared first on Make:.

It’s exciting how much 3D printing has enabled us to produce pretty much any shape for any purpose on the fly. Among the most thoughtful uses for the technology that we’ve seen are the many functioning and often beautiful prosthetics that not only succeed in restoring the use of a limb, but also deliver an air of style and self-expression to the wearer. The immediate nature of the technology allows for models to be designed and produced rapidly at a low-cost, which works excellently for growing children. [Pat Starace’s] Iron Man inspired 3D printed hand and forearm are a perfect example of such personality and expert engineering… with an added dash of hacker flair.

With over twenty years of experience in animatronics behind him, [Starace] expertly concealed all of the mechanical ligaments within the design of his arm, producing a streamline limb with all the nuance of lifelike gesture. It was important that the piece not only work, but give the wearer that appropriate super hero-like feeling while wearing it. He achieves this with all the bells and whistles hidden within the negative space of the forearm, which give the wearer an armory of tricks up their sleeve. Concealed in the plating, [Starace] uses an Arduino and accelerometer to animate different sets of LEDs as triggered by the hand’s position coupled with specific voice commands. Depending on what angle the wrist is bent at, the fingers will either curl into a fist and reveal hidden ‘lasers’ on the back of the hand, or spread open around a pulsing circle of light on the palm when thrust outward.

The project took [Starace] quite a bit of time to print all the individual parts; around two days worth of time. This however is still considered quick in comparison to the custom outfitting and production of traditional prosthetics… not to mention, the traditional stuff wouldn’t have LEDs. This piece has a noble cause, and is an exciting example of how 3D printing is adding a level of heroism to everyday life.

Thank you Julius for pointing out this awesome project to us!

Filed under: Arduino Hacks, wearable hacks

Aided by affordable materials, 3D printers, and open source technology, the merging of human and machine is a thriving subset of the maker community. Next week's World Maker Faire New York will showcase a number of these projects and the makers who made them. These projects are also a testament to the best impulses of human nature: once we possess new skills and technology we look for ways to use them as a force for good and to share them with others.

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