Week 10


Goals of the week: answer the following questions

Project One

What will it do?

I would like to create a prosthesis with: an actuator to rotate the arm, an actuator to rotate the wrist, an actuator for bending and extending te arm, an actuator to allow the end to grasp objects, sensors to modulate the pressure.

Who's done what beforehand?

Looking at the records from past years I found:
this glove for enhancing movements,
this prosthetic hand,
this robotic hand,
another robotic hand

What will you design?

First of all I will design the hand assembling the individual phalanges and the palm/back, then I'll design the arm. After that, I will connect and program the myelectrical signal.

What materials and components will be used?

The hand and the arm will be in Pla. Regarding the myelectrical signal, I found interesting these:
MyoWare Muscle Sensor and
Myoware Muscle Sensor Alternative: Grove – EMGDetector

Where will come from?

PLA fromAmazon;
MyoWare Muscle Sensor from Sparkfun;
(eventually) Grove – EMGDetector from Seed

How much will they cost?

One kg of Pla costs among 20/30 euros;
MyoWare Muscle Sensor costs 38 dollars;
while EMGDetector 30 dollars
So, in total, I think it would cost no more than 50 euros

What parts and systems will be made?

At the moments I think I will made only the hand and the arms, but I would love to create also the myelectrical boards

What processes will be used?

Regarding the hand and the arm, only CAD. Regarding the board: I would create the schematic and the routing with eagle, then I would mill, weld and program them.

What questions need to be answered?

My biggest concern is that it doesn't work and I can't connect the prosthesis to a person's limb (I still don't know who to make it try it on).

How will it be evaluated?

I don't know how it could be evaluated, I'm studying to acquire the necessary knowledge especially for 3D modeling. However, I think that it will not be possible to create an aesthetically unrecognizable prosthesis as such. I will strive to create them life-size and I think I will probably sew a glove of skin color to achieve my goal of creating a beautiful looking prosthesis. I am aware that several hands have already been created, but I would like my effort to distinguish them from the usual prostheses to be appreciated.

Updates

Projecr Two

What will it do?

Let me glow green will be a game to allow children to have the perception of the distribution of their weight on the foot. It is a physiotherapy exercise that is really boring for many children. That is why I want to make it a game. The child will get on a platform where there will be three fsr. In front of him will have a billboard with a 3D printed foot where there will be rgb leds in the same position as the fsr (front, middle and back of the foot). In places where the child will put too much weight, the LED will turn red. Where the child will put a lot of weight (but not too much), the LED will turn orange. In places where the child will put too little weight, the LED will turn blue. Where the child puts the right weight, the LEDs will turn green (this is why "let me glow green": this is the mission). Furthermore, using Processing I will also insert a sound feedback in which I will insert two of my recordings: "Don't give up, you can do it" when the child has not yet reached the goal and "Congratulations, you did it!" for when he has reached it.

Who's done what beforehand?

I honestly haven't seen similar models yet. This is an idea that came to me by talking to my tutor about my desire to make at least one of my cousin's physiotherapy exercises more fun.

What will you design?

First of all I will create the boards. I think I will make at least two of them: one with FSRs and one with LEDs. Then I will model the foot on OnShape and print it with the Ultimaker. Then I will make a wooden platform to which I will attach pieces of felt that I will cut with the laser cutter.

What materials and components will be used?

I will use white or translucent pla, felt, plywood and all board components.

Where will come from?

Pla and felt from Amazon
All the electronic components from Sparkfun

How much will they cost?

One kg of Pla costs among 20/30 euros but I don't think I'll use that much! In any case, considering that the components cost as little as a few euros, I don't think it will cost more than 30 euros for my entire project.

What parts and systems will be made?

I will not use anything ready, I will create everything.

What processes will be used?

I will model the foot on Onshape and print it with the Ultimaker. I will use the Illustrator and the laser cutter for the wooden platform and the felt footprints. To create the boards I will use the Eagle, Gimp, the mods, the cutter and the welding machine.

What questions need to be answered?

The first question that comes to mind is "Will I do a good job?" and the second is "Will my cousin and all the children who have to do this exercise like it?

How will it be evaluated?

I will try to put together the highest number of knowledge acquired during the Fab Academy. I didn't have any previous knowledge, so I already know that a professional and refined work will not come out. But it will still be a great satisfaction for me and I hope that the examiners will take all my efforts into account.