Bamboo Prehensor for the developing countries

It is estimated that 25 million people around the world suffer from upper limb amputation. 82% of these amputees live in developing countries and usually find it difficult to provide for their families because they depend on physical labor. At first glance it would seem that the solution is simple, the use of a prosthesis. However currently available upper limb prostheses are beyond the capabilities of most of the people in the developing countries. Thus there is a need for a prosthesis that can be easily manufactured in the developing countries and which is affordable for the individuals. Bamboo is a material that can be found in most developing countries, it has a good combination of properties such as specific strength and specific stiffness. Therefore, the goal of this research project is to make a body powered hand prosthesis out of bamboo. The prosthesis uses a combination of levers to move and to provide high gripping force with a low actuation force. However, the results show that there is a high energy loss occurring at the joints of the levers. Furthermore, the operating force is high (120 N) and the grasping force is low (14 N). However, by adjusting the position of the cable and spring the operating force can be reduced while the grasping force is increased. Thus, it can be stated that a prosthesis made out of bamboo is a feasible option; but the performance of the prosthesis is very sensitive to the accuracy of the manufacturing process. ?BMEBioMechanical EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin