This myoelectric arm project is made possible thanks to the tremendous work of conception and design of the Japanese team at Exii
http://exiii-hackberry.com/
And also with the help of the Mission Arm Japan team, whom we thank for its assistance and its shared know-how to make this hand accessible to our e-nable community
https://www.facebook.com/mission.arm.jp/
By the way, what are the prostheses available today ?
Let’s immediately get rid of a myth spread by the world of cinema: prostheses directly connected to the nervous system are not available on the market. All the devices available today on the market are said to be “non-intrusive”: they do not penetrate under the skin or inside the body, and are based, for the most high-end, on sensors placed on the skin to understand the orders given to them.
Prostheses are currently divided into four categories
Social prosthesis
A sleeve in which I slip my forearm and at the end of which there is a fake hand that does not move. Often very realistic, they are used to hide the handicap. They are difficult or impossible to adapt for people with a palm or complex agenesis with one or more fingers. They deprive their users of touch, heat and cold.
Mechanical prosthesis
The medical mechanical prosthesis consists of a spring clip that must be operated with the other hand. It looks like a hand.
The e-Nable mechanical prosthesis resembles a superhero’s hand and is actuated by the movement of the wrist or that of the elbow, depending on the situation. All the fingers close at the same time, providing a very useful daily clamp.
Myoelectric prosthesis
It is a motorized device that uses sensors to detect muscle commands and translate them into hand movements.
Bionic prosthesis
This is a myoelectric prosthesis but the wearer has undergone surgery to move nerves and / or muscles to make it easier to pick up orders.
The solution chosen by e-nable is the HACKBerry robotic hand, compatible with several types of sensors.
The e-Nable France project
Suggest to our makers the creation of myoelectric arms, based on the design of the Hackberry arm, and gradually incorporating improvements such as the voice control imagined by Extia or the super motors used in the Youbionics arm.
The entire electronic kit, if the maker agrees to make his hand available to e-Nable France to equip recipients who request it, will be provided free of charge after completion of the 3D printing part.
To participate in this program
- Write to contact@e-nable.fr to register.
- If you haven’t already, subscribe to the facebook group e-Nable Robotics France , this is the place to ask all your questions.
- 3D print all the hand parts, and have us validate your print
- We will send you the electronic kit free of charge after validation of your printing.
- Assemble the hand and return it to us.