Student Creates A Functional Prosthetic Arm For Only $15

Losing a limb can be an expensive affair, especially if one is to opt for prosthetics created by so-called specialists and their costly machines. Now, a physics student aims to change things up with 3D-printed prosthetics that only cost $15 to make.

The student in question is Ryan Bouricius and he is a senior at Ithaca College with a major in physics, Phys.org reports. Using 3D-printing technology, he was able to create working prosthetics hands that are able to grip objects with a simple movement of the wrist. It doesn’t offer as many flashy features as some of the metallic and expensive examples in the market, but for a family trying to get by, it can be a pretty big deal.

According to Bouricius, he first came up with the idea to create the affordable prosthesis thanks to a video he came across on YouTube. In the footage, someone was using the same technology to create similarly cheap prosthetic hands. Since Bouricius was in charge of the 3D-Print Lab at the college, he had everything at his disposal to make a better version that everyone could appreciate.

Once he decided to go ahead with the project, Bouricius searched for free designs to base his plastic prosthesis on and started printing prototypes. All in all, it took him one day to create his very first prosthetic hand. After that, it was just a matter of refining the design so that it became as good as it could be for the price that it was at.

"I like to use it around the apartment to see what problems are faced, because I can only imagine what it would be like to actually need a prosthetic hand," Bouricius said. "It's given me an appreciation for what human hands can do and I've been trying to match it as best as I can."

Working with 3D-printing technology is ideal for these kinds of issues as well because of how easy parts are to modify, Mid-day reports. Regardless of what shapes they take, the amount of material used and the price would still be the same.