Colorado Teen Designs Robotic Arm With 3D Printing

coolnumbr12 writes "A Colorado teenager has used 3D printing to create a robotic prosthetic arm that is fully functional and costs less than $500 to make. At TedxMileHigh in Denver, Colo., 17-year-old Easton LaChappelle demonstrated his robotic arm, and how he constructed the arm to keep costs low. 'So in the end, I built this robotic arm up to the shoulder which was extremely strong,' LaChapelle said. 'It could toss balls to you, it could shake your hand, it could pretty much do anything a human could if you program it correctly.'"

Don't show how it moves or is being controlled

[Anonymous Coward]

If anyone watched the video, he talks about how want to control it wirelessly. Also shows the robotic arm, even on stage.

But he doesn't attempt to show how it moves or is controlled what would be what everybody is expecting to see.

Re:I can see the big boys killing this

[TubeSteak]

with all kinds of regulations and safety cases that have to be complied with... things they can cope with because they're so large, but little upstart companies can't afford to comply with...

You have no idea WTF you're talking about.
Generic "zomg too much regulation comments" almost always get upmodded and are almost always full of shit.
Prostheses are more or less exempt from any FDA regulation that would make them expensive.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=890.3420 [fda.gov]

Sec. 890.3420 External limb prosthetic component.

(b)Classification. Class I (general controls). The device is exempt from the premarket notification procedures in subpart E of part 807 of this chapter, subject to the limitations in 890.9. The device is also exempt from the current good manufacturing practice requirements of the quality system regulation in part 820 of this chapter, with the exception of 820.180, regarding general requirements concerning records and 820.198, regarding complaint files.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=890.9 [fda.gov]

Sec. 890.9 Limitations of exemptions from section 510(k) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act).

The exemption from the requirement of premarket notification (section 510(k) of the act) for a generic type of class I or II device is only to the extent that the device has existing or reasonably foreseeable characteristics of commercially distributed devices within that generic type or, in the case of in vitro diagnostic devices, only to the extent that misdiagnosis as a result of using the device would not be associated with high morbidity or mortality. [...]

[A list of reasons when your product is not exempt]

There's someone, somewhere, who had to spend money for the FDA to approve the first brain--computer--limb interface, but after that, everyone gets a free ride.