Team 20 developed a modular attachment joint for prosthetic arms. The joint features 16 electrical POGO contacts and two spring pins for a hold that is also easily detachable when the pins are simultaneously compressed. This joint allows users to easily change their prosthetic arms and end effector, allowing for more flexibility in completing day to day tasks. Each attachment would contain a unique ID number which informs the main arm what attachment has been placed on. This allows the primary controller to switch between operations efficiently when a joint is swapped. The initial plan was to manufacture this joint in 6061 aluminum, however, due to time and money constraints the final version was printed in ONYX, a high precision, carbon reinforced nylon.
For this project, our group chose to engage with the usability issues present in current prosthetic limbs. This quick wrist disconnect joint serves as a bridge to quality of life improvements in prosthetic users. Hopefully, with this attachment, users would be able to perform many different functions that one single attachment could not manage.
Semester of Project:
Team Photo:
