Mechanical Prosthetic Hand

I designed this prosthetic hand to function using a DC motor, an accelerometer, and a distance sensor. The hand naturally remains at an open position when springs are incorporated into the design. When the hand is positioned vertically, as it is when people position their hand for a handshake, and when an object is within 4 centimeters of the palm, the hand closes. Once these two criteria are no longer the case, the hand reverts back to an open position, releasing the object it was holding.

I had two main purposes for creating this hand. First, I wanted to design a hand that could be altered to fit other people’s needs. While there are many improvements that can be made to my project, it can be used as a starting point and resource for other people looking to 3D print hands. Secondly, I wanted to learn to use 3D modeling software and to better familiarize myself with using arduinos and sensors.