Ben Choi was a runner-up in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/make-it-real-3d-printing-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Make It Real 3D Printing Challenge</a>. His idea was to create a very low-cost brain-controlled prosthetic arm.After <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/8gh5rv68tohgx5x65dsk/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj04UUVDb0xzQktrOA%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1619597341559000&usg=AFQjCNEzNhOPuVvr61dRvT_bm3Teht4Jrg" href="https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/8gh5rv68tohgx5x65dsk/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj04UUVDb0xzQktrOA==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">working with Ben to re-design his prosthetic arm for additive manufacturing using COR Alpha</a>, we were ecstatic to receive this update from him:Last month, I competed in the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, where I won the fair's&nbsp;Grand Prize&nbsp;and took home additional awards from the Air Force, IEEE, ASME, and several other sponsors. I was selected to advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's premier pre-college science fair, where I'll compete next month for over $4M in scholarship money and prizes alongside students from around the globe.We printed Ben's re-designed robot arm using <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/kkhmh6h839309vtl/aHR0cHM6Ly9wb2x5c3BlY3RyYS5jb20vYWxwaGEv&source=gmail&ust=1619597341559000&usg=AFQjCNE5ZTwztJFk5PmsFA-9SZaqpAC3LA" href="https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/kkhmh6h839309vtl/aHR0cHM6Ly9wb2x5c3BlY3RyYS5jb20vYWxwaGEv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COR Alpha</a> to give it the durability required for real-world applications.These durable, engineering-grade parts are suitable for the rigors of everyday use, and offer an innovative way to keep the cost of prosthetics low. We are wishing him luck at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair next month.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619527945206-unnamed.jpg" style="width: 545px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>polySpectra makes it real for emerging designers</h2> Sponsored by polySpectra, The 2020 Make is Real Challenge was an incredible experience to witness some of the world’s most creative designers show off their ideas. During the competition, Ben Choi was awarded runner-up for his brain-powered prosthetic arm design.<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/qvh8h7h8060m69il/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2V2b2x2ZXIuY29tL2FydGljbGUvbW90b3JiaWtlLWJyYWNrZXQtYmFzZWQtb24tYmlvbWltaWNyeS13aW5zLXRoZS1tYWtlLWl0LXJlYWwtM2QtcHJpbnRpbmctY2hhbGxlbmdl&source=gmail&ust=1619597341559000&usg=AFQjCNFAEEo87pvz_eLXLcdAEmMZFSUhdw" href="https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/qvh8h7h8060m69il/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2V2b2x2ZXIuY29tL2FydGljbGUvbW90b3JiaWtlLWJyYWNrZXQtYmFzZWQtb24tYmlvbWltaWNyeS13aW5zLXRoZS1tYWtlLWl0LXJlYWwtM2QtcHJpbnRpbmctY2hhbGxlbmdl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read more about last year’s winning designers</a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/vqhxzwnzirhndkd9k0sg/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj04UUVDb0xzQktrOA%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1619597341559000&usg=AFQjCNGrwb8NE-TLHd7PSQ0Xa_i5FIyC6A" href="https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/75uqqk0evdi8h74rgzhz/vqhxzwnzirhndkd9k0sg/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj04UUVDb0xzQktrOA==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">See how we used our DfAM workflow to help redesign Ben's arm for production additive manufacturing</a>

He was a runner-up in our Make It Real 3D Printing Challenge. His idea was to create a very low-cost brain-controlled prosthetic arm.

A 3D printed prosthetic arm controlled with your brain

"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."These are Christopher Reeve's words. The iconic actor portrayed Superman in the 1978 blockbuster and its three later sequels. Reeve himself had to endure such obstacles towards the end of his life after becoming paralyzed from the shoulders down following a horse-riding accident.Today, as life imitates art, a combination of adversity and technology creates the next generation superheroes. Like Limbitless Solutions, a non-profit organization spun-off from the University of Central Florida. The team of now former students is developing technology that empowers children with limb differences.Amongst a range of accessibility solutions, the company creates personalized 3D printed prosthetic 'bionic' arms. Customized to resemble popular superhero bodysuits from movies and video games, the prosthetic dramatically improve the wearer's life quality.<h2>Advanced electronics</h2>To make the limb work, non-invasive electromyographic (EMG) sensors pick up signals generated by muscle movements in the child's arm. The sensors are stickers placed on the upper arm above muscle groups that move when flexed. When an EMG signal is detected, the bionic arm actuates. Below this is a socket to hold the prosthetic in place, matched to the individual child, and it fits regardless of whether or not the elbow is present. The forearm section of the bionic arm contains a battery pack that powers the motors controlling the multi-gesture movements.The hand unit contains the core electronics and motors for the fine control of the individual fingers. This unit includes an Insight SiP ISP1507-AX RF module based on Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52832 SoC. It enables the bionic limb to be set-up, adjusted, and monitored wirelessly via an iOS or Android partner app. For example, by configuring the app, you can determine the degree of muscle-flexing required to generate a particular force in the fingers. The app also provides easy access to status information such as the battery level.<h2>Practice makes perfect</h2>Learning to use a new arm takes practice; determining the various thresholds of muscle strength, for example, is difficult. So to make it fun and engaging, Limbitless Solutions has gamified the process. The Nordic-powered Insight SiP module acts as the Bluetooth LE wireless controller for a computer- or tablet-based game. The games take a classic level-based approach, starting with simple gestures such as opening and closing the hand and then unlocking additional, more complex manipulations as each level is completed.In addition to the looking part, the prosthetic arm must be comfortable, lightweight, and easy to use. The miniaturized eight by eight by 1 mm module is suitable for this purpose as it is for any other space-constrained application. Meanwhile, the Bluetooth LE connectivity allows parents to easily calibrate and adjust the arm from their smartphone, using a wireless technology they readily understand.<h2>Affordable technology</h2>Cosmetically realistic myoelectric hands that open and close can cost $20,000 to $30,000 or even more, while a neuroprosthetic arm may cost as much as $100,000. By combining cost-effective 3D printing with affordable electronics and wireless technology, the company believes it can reduce production cost to as little as $5000 per bionic arm. Essential if the technology is to become widespread as children outgrow prosthetics quickly.As a natural next step, the company has expanded its vision to support adults with limb differences—particularly veterans and first responders—of which there are unfortunately many in the United States. According to the Amputee Coalition, nearly two million people live with limb loss in the U.S. Approximately 185,000 amputations take place each year, a number expected to double by 2050.<h2>Project expansion</h2>Through the process of a clinical trial, Limbitless Solutions has so far gifted 40 bionic arms to 36 children and teenagers. By expanding its R&amp;D and manufacturing capabilities soon, the company hopes to increase to 100 through gifts and donations. If successful, the project could give families and children hope worldwide and create thousands of more superheroes in the process.<hr>This article was first published on Nordic's&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get Connected Blog</a>.

By combining cost-effective 3D printing with affordable electronics and wireless technology, new accessibility solutions empower children with limb differences.

Smart limbs make heroes by design

With the increased accessibility and democratization of technologies that allow for rapid design iteration and customization, such as 3D printing, more and more innovative groups are taking the initiative to reevaluate how the use of this technology can improve upon existing systems. One of these groups is DiveDesign, who is working to use 3D printing to optimize the process of creating custom full limb pet prosthetics. In this article, we share their story: from the partnerships they&rsquo;ve created, through the research and development that went into their new process, to the lives they&rsquo;ve changed along the way.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Identifying An Opportunity&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/" target="_blank">DiveDesign</a> is the creation of Adam Hecht and Alex Tholl, who started their product development studio while still in college. While they mainly offer their services such as design research and strategy, concept development, prototyping, engineering, and brand development, their shared interest in technology has expanded their business and outlook towards finding opportunities for leveraging technology to improve upon existing systems used to design products.The team discovered one of these opportunities through their introduction to Derrick Campana of <a href="https://bionicpets.org/" target="_blank">Bionic Pets</a>, a leading provider of animal orthotics and prosthetics. Campana has been creating animal orthotic and prosthetic devices since 2005, and has provided custom braces and prosthetics for thousands of animals throughout his career. From speaking with Campana, Hecht and Tholl learned of the frustrations involved with the current process of creating full limb prosthetic devices for dogs, which had the ability to become a large portion of Bionic Pet&rsquo;s business.&nbsp;Traditionally, to create a full limb prosthetic (when the dog is missing an entire front leg), a negative mold is created of the patient using 3M ACE style bandages that is hardened using Plaster of Paris. Then, plastic sheets are heated and bent around the negative mold. Afterwards, it is trimmed and finished, and the foam and leg hardware components are attached.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852049169-unnamed+%286%29.png">Traditional method of creating the full limb prosthetics&nbsp; Although Campana has refined the process of creating full limb prosthetics, there were still many areas for improvement. While creating a brace takes little less than 2 hours, the process of creating a full limb prosthetic can usually take up to 15-20 (depending on the size of the prosthetic), and oftentimes does not account for adjustments after test fitting.Hecht and Tholl realized that there was an opportunity to improve upon this process. Leaning on their experience with 3D printing and scanning, they partnered with Campana to create a new method for creating full limb pet prosthetics.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Designing A New Process</h2>Hecht and Tholl began with the idea that by 3D scanning the negative mold and using the scan to create a 3D-printable customized prosthetic model, the need for heating, bending and finishing the plastic sheets would be eliminated, saving hours of manual labor.In addition to saved time, there were other advantages to this new approach: by incorporating digital tools into the process, it was now easier to modify the prosthetic after test fitting if needed. Through 3D printing the prosthetic, there would be more options for materiality, which would allow the prosthetic to be optimized for comfort, breathability, and flexibility.&nbsp;Another goal for the new process was to allow the workload to be distributed within a team, which was not an option with the existing process. &ldquo;For example,&rdquo; Tholl explained, &ldquo;(in the past) if Derrick was too busy one week, no body jackets got made because he&rsquo;s the only one who can make them. With the new process, we wanted to be able to train a team to support the process.&rdquo;&nbsp;With this in mind, the team began testing their new approach. They started by 3D scanning the Plaster of Paris molds and manipulating the scans with preexisting CAD tools. It was after preparing multiple prosthetic models for printing with these tools that they realized the extensive amount of manual digital labor that it required. &ldquo;We knew that creating a digital tool to perform the same actions with minimal user input was the key to a sustainable model.&rdquo; stated Hecht.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852032851-pasted+image+0+%281%29.png">3D scanning a negative mold&nbsp; <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852146357-pasted+image+0+%282%29.png">Development of the new algorithm&nbsp;This realization led them to partnering with Chris Landau of <a href="https://www.landau.design/" target="_blank">Landau Design + Technology&nbsp;</a>to create an algorithm specifically for generating prosthetic models from 3D scans to aid them in their process. Through this algorithm, it was possible to generate finalized 3D printable models of the prosthetics in a fraction of the time. It also allowed for further customization of each prosthetic through changing mount positions, thicknesses, and more.<h2 dir="ltr">Research &amp; Development</h2>With considerations towards cost, processing and printing time, and comfort, Hecht and Tholl designed and printed countless iterations of the prosthetics and worked with Landau to fine-tune the features of the algorithm. &ldquo;To be honest, the first design was us making sure we could even print something that could fit a large dog and be comfortable. Derrick at Bionic Pets sat with us for many hours going over the importances of support placement, sizing, flexibility, strength.&rdquo; Tholl recalled. &ldquo;Not only did we want the new design to be faster to make, we also wanted it to be a better product for the dog.&rdquo; Hecht added.The largest challenge throughout development came with finding a material to print the prosthetics with. &ldquo;We tried at least 10 different materials before landing on TPU,&rdquo; Tholl stated. TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane, is a plastic known for its elasticity and high abrasion resistance. &ldquo;With this material we found the perfect combination of flex for comfort, and strength for support. It also enabled us to print a heavily ventilated pattern that enabled more breathability, unlike other materials that would have required being printed solid.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852191030-pasted+image+0+%283%29.png">Prosthetic 3D printed with TPU &nbsp;Other characteristics of TPU that made it a good choice for printing the prosthetics were its microbial resistance, water resistance, and ability to be applied on or near the skin, which were important considerations when planning for the prolonged attachment to the patient.&nbsp;As with any thorough design development, it was important to validate that the product would function as intended for the end user, and meet all the necessary comfort and safety requirements. However, this user validation was unlike any DiveDesign had tackled in the past. &ldquo;It was tough because we had so many criteria to meet that would allow Derrick to approve our methods. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that the fit was right. We were also looking to ensure that it moved with the dog and did not restrict them, was breathable and wouldn&rsquo;t cause discomfort, and it could withstand the expected wear and tear.&rdquo; explained Tholl.Fortunately, there were pet families who were willing to participate in the initial testing under Campana&rsquo;s supervision. This allowed DiveDesign to be confident that the prosthetics they were sending out to future patients were up to Campana&rsquo;s standards.&nbsp;One of these families were the owners of a dog named Hope, who volunteered to test one of the finalized prosthetics made through the new process. &ldquo;Hope&rsquo;s family really helped us to make sure what we were creating functioned in the way that it needed to, and Derrick was present digitally to watch and make sure his standards were being exceeded.&rdquo; Hecht explained.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852229109-pasted+image+0+%284%29.png">Test fitting Hope&rsquo;s full limb prostheticThrough families like Hope&rsquo;s, the team was able to conduct invaluable testing that allowed them to confirm that their process produced a viable alternative to traditional prosthetics, as well as better understand the unique challenges that came with every patient.<h2 dir="ltr">Creating The Prosthetics</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852304525-pasted+image+0+%285%29.png">Preparing prosthetics for shipment&nbsp;Once the process had been tested and verified,the recurring orders for full limb prosthetics that Bionic Pets was receiving could be fulfilled using the new 3D printing-centric process. To date, the team has completed over 30 orders for prosthetics, with more coming in every day. As they are fine-tuning the process, the partnership between DiveDesign, Campana, and Landau has remained crucial. The prosthetics are being closely monitored by Campana, and the algorithm is continuing to be developed under the guidance of Landau.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852731963-1241243123123.png">Fully assembled prosthetics &nbsp;While this endeavour has been a large undertaking for the team, the joy of seeing their prosthetics being used to change the lives of pets and their families has made it well worth it. &ldquo;Seeing (the pets&rsquo;) progress as they learn to move with the prosthetic..seeing them run for the first time, it&rsquo;s great to see.&rdquo; Hecht said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like an indescribable feeling. Never in a million years did we ever think we&rsquo;d be developing animal prosthetics using 3D printing.&rdquo; Tholl added.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1589852759499-12565474.png" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Looking To The Future</h2>As production of the prosthetics continues, the team is keeping their mind on expanding their operations. With the assistance of 3D printing service centers such as <a href="https://www.gcreate.com/" target="_blank">gCreate</a> in Brooklyn, NY, they are working to keep up with the large influx of orders they are receiving each month.&nbsp;For Hecht and Tholl, this project has inspired them to continue finding ways to use the technology they have available to them to solve problems and help others. &ldquo;We are excited to see where we will go from here, and what further applications for 3D printing we will find in the future.&rdquo; said Tholl.&nbsp;You can learn more about this project through<a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/work/bionic-pets" target="_blank">&nbsp;DiveDesign&rsquo;s</a> website, and by following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/divedesignco/?hl=en" target="_blank">DiveDesign</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bionicpets/?hl=en" target="_blank">Bionic Pets</a> on Instagram. You can also learn more about the story of two of their patients, Turbo Roo &amp; Thor, on Campana&rsquo;s new show <a href="https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor" target="_blank">The Wizard of Paws</a> on BYUtv.&nbsp;<hr>References:<ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li><a href="https://www.divedesignco.com/" target="_blank">https://www.divedesignco.com/</a></li><li><a href="https://bionicpets.org/" target="_blank">https://bionicpets.org/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.landau.design/" target="_blank">https://www.landau.design/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor" target="_blank">https://www.byutv.org/player/8d089869-c4d2-40f2-a7b2-e718a216952e/wizard-of-paws-turbo-roo-thor</a></li></ul>

A New Jersey-based product development studio has paired with an algorithm developer and one of the nation’s leading animal orthotists to optimize the process of creating full-limb pet prosthetics.

prosthetic

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A 3D printed prosthetic arm controlled with your brain

Smart limbs make heroes by design

Utilizing 3D Printing To Create Pet Prosthetics