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Hardware Hacking Medicine Technology Build

Public Domain Prosthetic Hand 31

Posted by Soulskill from the you-might-find-this-handy dept.
New submitter Zeussy writes "While looking around Thingiverse for something to 3D-print, I found this awesome public domain prosthetic hand designed for a 5-year-old child called Liam, who was born without any fingers on his right hand. The design is based on parts either 3D-printed or bought from your local hardware store. It's body powered via cables and bungees; see it in action in this video. They are currently running a Fundly Fundraiser."
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Public Domain Prosthetic Hand More

Public Domain Prosthetic Hand

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  • This is fantastic (Score:5, Interesting)

    by inquist ( 2489806 ) on Friday February 01, 2013 @10:44AM (#42760757)

    I think this also helps answer the other article posted recently, "Are there any real inventors left?" Yes there are.

    • Yep, and as I said in that article, 3D printing probably counts as a true invention.

      • Additive manufacturing has been around for a long time, and automated subtractive manufacturing for longer. 3D printing is great, but that BBC story was just their misunderstanding of invention and creativity. They think it's Something That Has Never Been Done Before And Doesn't Include Other Inventions, when that includes very few things in the history of mankind. Everything is iterative. Even the first simple machine a human used was most likely created by some other organism years before.

        I propose that w

    • This is wrong. Giving stuff to the public domain should be forbidden. This way of life is communist!

      • Interesting idea around that joke, how many crippling diseases would still be haunting humanity if their cures were made by modern pharma companies instead of generous "anti-capitalist" people like Jonas Salk? I imagine the diseases would still thrive in the 3rd world.

  • Can you imagine? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    You take your kid to the family doctor:

    Doc: Nice to see you both again. So, uh, where did you get that prosthetic hand for little Tommy?
    Dad: I downloaded some designs from the internet and built it myself.
    Doc: *gape*

    • Two sides to this:

      Ages ago, I remember reading in Readers Digest a story about a gentleman and his wife who adopted one of the Thalidomide babies and created a more manageable motorized device for the young man to control so as to have some mobility --- I've always wondered if any of those mechanisms were used in later devices.

      There are now devices for CNC milling dental crowns while one waits in a dentist's office:

      http://www.shapeoko.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1196&p=9543&hilit=dentist#p9543 [shapeoko.com]

  • 3D fun (Score:5, Insightful)

    by turkeydance ( 1266624 ) on Friday February 01, 2013 @10:48AM (#42760799)
    3D printing has the potential to be the "next thing". just like computers, the internet,etc. practical/fun/dangerous/all that. this example is heart-warming. now, if we could just intercept or delay DRM and other censorship possibilites.
  • "The design is based on parts either 3D-printed or bought from your local hardware store."

    [sarcasm] I can't wait to read the article and find out if it's 3D printed parts or parts I have to buy. [/sarcasm]

  • Greatest moment (Score:5, Interesting)

    by schneidafunk ( 795759 ) on Friday February 01, 2013 @10:53AM (#42760843)
    The greatest moment is when Rich and I were working together with Liam in South Africa. The moment Liam realized that his wrist motion powered the device, he exclaimed "It copies me!!". -Ivan Owen & Richard Van As

    source here [thingiverse.com]
  • This is pretty amazing. It's things like this is that make me excited about 3D printers. I wonder what other great stuff people will make with these.
  • And all anyone can think to do with it is stick it on someone. Let the hand run free! Like Thing! Or that scene from the Evil Dead. THAT would be AWESOME!
  • Absolutely brilliant!
  • Hopefully 3D printing of penis enlargers will diminish SPAM.

  • This is fantastic of course, but what do actual makers of Artificial hands have to say about this, they own Patents right?. Serious question, what would happen, would it be like the RIAA suing anyone seen with these?.

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