“Third Thumb” Augmentation Changes the Way we Think of Prosthetics
3D printing has come a long way from its original incarnation. What started off as gizmos no larger than the palm of your hand, we’ve now reached the point of actually 3D printing a hand in itself. With this will come advancements in the prosthetic industry, revolutionizing the way we help people become able-bodied once more.
Thanks to Italian researchers and designer Federico Ciccarese, 3D printed bionic hands are now cheaper than ever before. Called YouBionic, this 3D printed bionic hand is able to successfully emulate its biological predecessor with a price tag of only €1,200 ($1,362).
“The aim of our research is to be able to make an artificial hand that can benefit those who unfortunately have lost one, by giving them the ability to perform basic everyday actions with relative ease. We want to achieve all this at a price lower than anything the market offers today; we want our product to be appealing to as many people as possible.”
– Federico Ciccarese
Largely inspired by the complexity of muscle fibers, the YouBionic hand is capable of gripping onto objects similar to that of actual hands. Its flexible geometries deform like muscles and contract and release like fibers. As a result, they execute movements akin to biological hands.
Equipped with arduino microprocessors, servos, and sensors, the YouBionic hand is a 3D printed masterpiece in its own merit. Now available for pre-order, this bionic hand will be sold to developers and anyone interested in helping the company break big into the prosthetic market. In doing so, they’re also looking for investors who believe, as they do, that the future of prosthetic limbs will be integrated with that of 3D printing.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
We are entering a revolutionary period in history where human biology is about to take part in a transformation. This is much more than simply helping people become able-bodied again; this is about allowing people to augment and enhance their biological limitations. What we are witnessing here are the first first monumental steps to be taken in redefining what it means to be disabled.
In our not-too-distant future, people will be taking part in elective surgeries which replace their biological substrate with more advanced, more efficient bionic models. Today’s disabled are certainly the first in line, as they help lead us the way towards a future where biology becomes secondary in how people can live their lives.
Photo Credit: YouBionic
About the author
B.J. Murphy is the Editor and Social Media Manager of Serious Wonder. He is a futurist, philosopher, activist, author and poet. B.J. is an Affiliate Scholar for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) and an Ambassador for the robotics company Humai.
You may also like
