Final Project
Bionic Hand
1. Project Description
This project is a 3D-printed, muscle-controlled bionic hand designed to assist individuals with upper-limb disabilities or amputations. It features five individually actuated fingers and a rotating, tilting wrist. The hand is controlled using ECG electrodes placed on the user's forearm to detect muscle signals (EMG-like control). These signals are processed by an ESP32-based control unit and transmitted to another ESP32 inside the bionic hand.
2. System Architecture
The system is divided into two main modules:
Sensor Module (Forearm-Worn): Reads muscle electrical activity using ECG electrodes and sends control signals.
Hand Module: Receives commands and actuates servos to move fingers and wrist accordingly.
3. How It Works
User contracts forearm muscles.
1. The ECG sensors detect the signal, processed and interpreted by an ESP32 microcontroller.
2. Signals are sent wireless to the hand’s ESP32 unit.
3. The hand receives the signals and moves the corresponding servo motor(s) for each finger or wrist.
4. Components
| Category | Material | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Microcontroller | ESP32-WROOM module | Central controller for both sensor unit and hand unit, handling signal processing and servo control |
| Actuators | Servo motors (7x) | Five for finger movement, two for wrist rotation and tilt |
| Power | Lithium battery + LiPo battery | Portable power sources for both the hand and the wearable sensor module |
| Mechanical | Plastic cord (nylon or fishing line) | Acts as tendon to transmit servo pulling force to finger joints |
| 3D Print Material | Filament (PLA) | Used to 3D print the hand structure, finger segments, wrist components, and enclosures |