The goal of this project was to design an affordable,
body-powered hand prosthesis that restores functionality after a partial hand amputation, enabling users to perform activities of daily life. The design particularly focuses on supporting soldiers and enhance their rehabilitation. Currently, options for individuals who lose their hand up to the MCP joint are limited. Well functioning prostheses are often too expensive, and insurance coverage is most of the times unavailable. Even when insurance is available, long waiting times and dependency on prosthesis companies for repairs increases the burden.

With the increasing number of partial hand amputations, particularly due to global conflicts, the need for affordable prostheses is urgent for soldiers. However, effective solutions remain limited. This project addresses this gap by creating a prosthesis that meets these needs.

The result of this project is a modularly designed prosthesis that is simple to repair instead of replacing the entire prosthesis. This feature ensures that repairs can be done anywhere and by anyone, thanks to the 3D printing production technique used. Unlike traditional prostheses that require specialist manufacturing, this prosthesis can be produced locally, making it more affordable and accessible. This prosthesis is the first step towards a hand that supports tripod and power grips. The newly designed finger mechanism enhances freedom of movement by representing an innovative approach to body-powered prosthetics.

The development of this concept involved multiple design phases. Throughout the project, an iterative process was followed, continuously integrating expert feedback to create a prosthesis that offers a new approach to prosthetic design.
The frame phase included a literature review, expert consultations, interviews with an occupational therapist, and patient observations, which provided valuable insights. These insights were integrated in the ideation phase, where nine design directions were explored based on the desired product’s sub functions. Two concepts were chosen, tested and refined and one concept was selected for further development. In the embodiment phase, each component of the prosthesis was detailed, integrated, and tested, resulting in a final design and prototype. The prototype was evaluated compared to the design requirements which led to positive results. Nevertheless, the amount pinch force could be improved.

The conclusion after this project is that the design is promising, but improvements are needed. Recommendations for next steps include testing the prosthesis with people who have a partial hand amputation to gain more insight and refine the design. The future implementation of this prosthesis depends on the outcomes of these tests.