Affordable 3D-printed Bionic Prosthetic declared Luminary Winner at the 2023 Red Dot Award: Design Concept

Securing the Luminary Winner award at this year’s Red Dot Award: Design Concept in Singapore, the Lunet makes a bold promise of restoring functionality and dexterity in the hands of amputees… without breaking the bank.

Built with a low-cost design that features parametric adjustment for different hand types, and 3D printing to bring down the cost of production, Lunet looks to deliver a more accessible future that doesn’t rely on expensive medical prosthetics. Under the right conditions, Lunet can easily be manufactured even in one’s home using desktop 3D printers and can be assembled without any fasteners or extra components. In doing so, Lunet doesn’t just restore its wearer’s fingers, it restores their lives back, giving them the ability to grip and maneuver objects while also being able to point and gesture just like most people would.

Designer: David Edquilang

A 3D-printed prototype of the Lunet prosthetic

Lunet is a mechanical prosthetic that restores a degree of functionality for finger amputees by using 3D-printed appendages. The prosthetic is produced entirely through 3D printing, eliminating the need for a production line or industrial equipment. With the right 3D files, people can print, modify, and upgrade their own prosthetics for daily as well as situational use.

The prosthetic is made with a modular design and is crafted using parametric modeling, allowing for adjustments on the fly to suit a wide variety of hand types. The final model can be easily tweaked based on the ergonomics of the wearer, allowing for a custom-made solution that fits the user’s hands and needs perfectly. “Produced entirely through 3D printing, Lunet can be manufactured quickly at a low cost and personalized in CMF to the user’s stylistic preferences,” says David Edquilang, a design student at the University of Houston.

The prosthetic features mechanical linkages that can be controlled by flexing your hand. The fingers work by using a novel, robust linkage mechanism that mimics the motion and flexibility of real fingers. The entire design features components that snap together and require zero metal fasteners or fixtures. With the help of a unique mechanism, a user-friendly modular design, and the ever-expanding accessibility of desktop 3D printing, Lunet empowers individuals with finger amputations to restore the functionality of their missing fingers. Remarkably, this innovative solution costs less than 1% of the price of existing commercially sold finger prostheses.

“Lunet is not just a sci-fi looking concept, it’s real and it works; and will be released online to everyone completely for free as an open-source design. This way, Lunet can do the most good, helping as many people as possible,” David told Yanko Design, moments after being awarded the Luminary Winner of this year’s Red Dot Award. “I believe that good design should not be exclusive only to those that have enough money to afford it. Design is about solving problems, helping the fellow human.”

Click here to view the Best Of Best Winners from this year’s Red Dot Award: Design Concept.

The post Affordable 3D-printed Bionic Prosthetic declared Luminary Winner at the 2023 Red Dot Award: Design Concept first appeared on Yanko Design.

This modular prosthetic shower leg facilitates easy cleaning of residue limb

Below the knee amputees have to jockey their way around even for normal tasks, making things difficult in the daily grind. Taking a shower is one of them, and such disabled individuals either have to skip taking a shower completely or crawl their way to the bathroom, since normal prosthetics cannot be exposed to water due to their metal components.

Even if they do manage to take a shower with special aids such as a walker, safety grip, shower chair, or shower leg – properly washing the residual leg is still a problem due to their inherent design. One can say a shower leg is still better, but not every disabled person can spare $4000 for just one function alone. This can lead to bacterial infections developing in the limb which can in the worst-case scenario can lead to further amputation. Just imagine the situation for the elderly who have even more constraints in movement as compared to young lads.

Designer: Harry Teng

Industrial designer Harry Teng wants to give below-the-knee amputees one less problem to worry about in their life with the Lytra prosthetic leg specially tailored for taking a shower properly and also maintaining the residual leg hygiene. Inspired by the Charles and Ray Eames Leg sprint first created during World War II, this shower prosthetic leg has an open bottom design for easy washing and drying regime. It has got a flexible foot for more freedom in movement, and to make sure they don’t slip due to hydroplaning, there’s a textured slip-resistant rubber outsole for a firm grip.

The innovative prosthetic leg is made out of medical-grade polypropylene material called Proteus Sheet. All the inherent components of Lytra are interchangeable so that they can be replaced easily in case there’s damage or deformation. The socket of the prosthetic comes in XS, S, M, L and XL sizes to suit users of every leg type. There’s a silicone gel bottom for soft and comfy support for the limb resting on it. These sockets are interchangeable for hygiene purposes to prevent any infection.

One undeniable advantage of the Lytra shower leg is its modular nature which caters to the universal needs of below-the-knee amputees. Users can personalize their unit according to their preferences unlike other prosthetics on the market which don’t provide this freedom. According to the designer, this prosthetic forms a unique bond with the users which only does good for their confidence.

The post This modular prosthetic shower leg facilitates easy cleaning of residue limb first appeared on Yanko Design.

This prosthetic leg grows with your child!

Prosthetics are expensive and if you have you start using them when you are young, it is an exponential cost that keeps increasing as you grow. It is not convinient or affordable to keep getting new prosthetics, so designer Snezana Jeremic has come up with a concept that grows with you! Ring is an adjustable, custom-made prosthetic leg designed specifically for transtibial amputee children in developing countries to help reduce costs while bettering their quality of life.

The conceptual prosthetic leg aims to make the otherwise rigid medical equipment more flexible especially to fit seamlessly in the life of a growing child. The user will wear the leg and it can be adjusted it as they grow to make sure the fit is always optimal and comfortable. “Ring achieves this thanks to an adjustable foot portion to ensure an optimal stride as well as the upper portion that can be paired with additional rings to suit the person’s body as they grow and develop,” says Jeremic.

Ring is a conversation starter that addresses the need for more modular healthcare equipment. Prosthetics like these make sure that individuals don’t need a whole new device every time they have a growth spurt!

Designer: Snezana Jeremic

ring1

ring2

Hitting the Books: This $80 prosthetic has helped millions walk again

The modern world around us — from the spaces we inhabit to the furniture we perch upon to the gadgets, tools and devices we hold in our hands — is implicitly designed for humans that fit within a specific bell curve of shape and ability. If you happe...

Scientists create a cyborg eye that mimics the real thing

Scientists have been working on artificial eyes for years, but mimicking the shape and behavior of a real eye has been difficult. A breakthrough might just lead to a practical design, though. Researchers have created (via New Scientist) a cyborg eye...

Intel’s ultra-efficient AI chips can power prosthetics and self-driving cars

Even though the whole 5G thing didn't work out, Intel is is still working on hard on its Loihi "neuromorphic" deep-learning chips, modeled after the human brain. It unveiled a new system, code-named Pohoiki Beach, made up of 64 Loihi chips and 8 mill...

Synthetic fiber ‘muscles’ could lead to brawny robots and prosthetics

Most attempts at giving robots muscles tend to be heavy, slow or both. Scientists might finally have a solution that's both light and nimble, though. They've developed fibers that can serve as artificial muscles for robots while remaining light, re...

AI-tuned robotic knee helps amputees walk within minutes

Amputees who receive robotic limbs can't usually start using them right away. It typically requires hours of manual tweaks to adapt to their particular movement styles, and they may need to come back for more if anything changes. Soon, however, the...

Researchers develop 3D printed objects that can track their own use

Researchers at the University of Washington have been developing a way for 3D-printed plastic objects to transmit data without the need for embedded batteries or electronics. Last year, they showed how their devices can take measurements of wind spee...