The world of prosthetics has been changed forever thanks to the advent of 3D printing. We recently covered a story about a gentleman who received a 3D-printed face repair. Today, however, we've got a 3D printed replica of a 16th century wrought iron prosthetic hand put together by researchers at Auburn University.
Kassel Hand Project: Tips & Tricks to Operate the Model - YouTube
3D printing this historical prosthetic is another way for researchers to interact with history and better understand what life was like for amputees during the Renaissance era. The team decided to use a real artifact as a point of reference so they could understand its mechanisms and also test the performance of the design.
The team ultimately decided to use what's known as the "Kassel Hand". This is a prosthetic hand from the 1500s assessed to be German in origin. The Kassel Hand is one of just a few European mechanical prosthetics to have survived from the Renaissance era. The team replicated its design as precisely as possible so they could 3D print the most exact replica possible.
The researchers tested the hand's ability to hold objects and were impressed to find it could support up to 20lbs—and that's with PLA filament manufacturing, not iron like the original. You can see a demo video in which the hand is used to grasp and maintain hold of a cup. The fingers will remain in place until the release lever is triggered.
This lever caused a bit of trouble when showing off 3D printed copies, however, as people kept accidentally breaking the lever. This was resolved by modifying the model to print with a smaller lever. With this change in place, the team has been able to share this piece of history with a much wider audience (without fear of it breaking during a demonstration).
Like we said before, the original hand was made from iron but this one is 3D printed using PLA. If you like the idea of 3D printing hands, you're not alone—here's a cool 3D-printed robotic hand we covered in the past. Check out our list of best 3D printers if you want to snag yourself a printer and try out one of these designs for yourself.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
