Ian Davis develops hand prostheses that do not require electronics and documents his process on YouTube. Normally, the machinist uses metal for his designs. This time, however, his latest prototype comes from a 3D printer. It’s slimmer than the prosthesis that he otherwise uses every day, but it’s not quite finished yet. Davis is currently waiting for a service provider to 3D print the stainless steel parts, but he has already shown in a video what the new hand can do and what it does better.
Davis started the project a few years ago when he lost four fingers on his left hand in an accident. At the time, he received a commercial iDigits Quantum prosthesis from Össur from his health insurance company. However, their response time and battery operation frustrated him so much in everyday life that he began to look for solutions himself. This resulted in a hand prosthesis that works purely mechanically.
The special thing about his designs: They include the arm in the movement. If the hand bends to the inside of the arm, the fingers are also pulled together and the grip is released again with the counter movement. In his YouTube videos, Davis shares tips and tricks for anyone facing similar limitations. He is now followed by around 550,000 people and has received a lot of encouragement from the community.
(akf)
