Outer Hand Prosthesis Customization Using Computing Tools CAD, CAE, FEA, and 3D Printing

A man’s hand is a wonderful tool, capable of executing numberless tasks thanks to its main role: hand grip. The present study shows a parametric anthropomorphic hand design that performs basic movements such as cylindrical, pointed, hook, palmar, spherical, and lateral, prehensile grip. This prototype proposes a hand that is customizable to different measurements by an inverse phalange bar mechanism that adapts to specific needs finding prosthesis custom solutions for handicapped people with upper limb amputation. To achieve this a goniometric and anthropometric study of the hand was needed so that the prosthesis shows as many esthetic details as possible without affecting it’s functioning, improving the user’s quality style at a low cost. For this prototype, the tools CAD-CAE were used along with fast 3D printing. The applied methodology was theoretical as the logical history, analysis, synthesis, modeling, and empirical. The observed results showed that this hand prosthesis adapts to half the study population, and it has precision as a priority instead of movement strength.