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Design a low-cost, 3D-printable terminal device
The modular prosthetic challenge seeks to engage GrabCAD’s large and diverse population of talented engineers to design low-cost, 3D-printable terminal devices compatible with the International Committee for the Red Cross’s (ICRC) transradial prosthetics manufacturing guidelines.
In the US alone there are nearly 2 million individuals living with limb differences. Globally, there are countless more. For those with upper limb differences, there is often little diversity in aesthetics or functionality of assistive devices due to the manufacturing and distribution processes that have been historically used for creating low-cost prosthetics. As a result, much of what is available is based on designs from the 70s and 80s.
The Enable Community Foundation (ECF) and the e-NABLE community have demonstrated the potential of 3D printing as a distribution platform for highly customized low-cost prosthetic devices and we are excited to work with the GrabCAD community to design new and innovative terminal devices that solve specific user problems with more diverse functionality and aesthetics. These terminal devices are intended for individuals who do not have a functioning wrist and who may be missing the forearm or even upper arm.
The ECF is challenging designers to develop innovative, printable, diverse terminal devices for a wide variety of everyday and occupational uses. Devices may be either
passive (no moving parts) or active (typically cable drive, see additional information in downloadable spec). Finished devices should end in an M10 threaded stud (at least 15mm protruding) that can screw into the ICRC wrist. A STEP file for a printable model wrist unit is provided via "Download Specifications" for prototyping.
A terminal device is the portion of an upper extremity prosthesis that acts as a hand. Terminal devices provide most of the function of the prosthesis and can be disconnected at the wrist to allow the user to switch to a different device.
There are two major types of body powered terminal devices. A voluntary opening (VO) device is held closed by springs or rubber bands and the user moves to open it. This mechanism makes it easy to hold and move objects without effort, but has a grip strength limited to the strength of the springs. A voluntary closing (VC) device is held open by springs and the user moves to close it. This allows for a strong grip but requires effort to hold and move objects.
Devices for this challenge can be either VO or VC devices. They can also be ‘passive’ in that they can be statically attached to the socket and then clamped, ratcheted or strapped on to the sport device. In the case of certain sports such an apparatus might not be needed at all.
Expanding from a design focus on wrist-powered hands to arms will allow the e-NABLE volunteer community to move from providing assistive devices to a small percentage of the upper limb difference community to a much larger group of people. By focusing on terminal devices and ornamental fairings, the Enable Community Foundation and the e-NABLE community can provide devices useful to O&P practitioners in the developed world that complement their work without impinging on the clinical areas in which community members are not qualified.
There is a marked and unmet need for function-specific devices that is not served by existing insurance and medical practices. In many cases, these needs are easier to address from a design and fabrication perspective AND yield high returns because they enable fun activities.
Below, please find a photo of The Phoenix Hand, designed by e-NABLE Community member Jason Bryant, as well as ICRC wrist units in three skin tones.
If you’re looking for inspiration or to gather feedback from with individuals with limb differences who use e-NABLE devices, visit the e-NABLE community and the e-NABLE R&D Forums. e-NABLE designer and contest judge Skip Meetze’s tinkerCAD library is another rich source of inspiration for modular terminal devices.
See the challenge "Download Specifications" button below to download a STEP model of an ICRC wrist, technical drawings of the interface, and the ICRC transradial device manufacturing guidelines to learn more about how the terminal device integrates into standard technology.
Additional things to consider when designing the terminal device:
1. Who will be using it?
2. What will they be using it for?
3. How do aesthetics vary between different cultures?
4. Can the device be removed/secured using one hand?
To learn more about product design, visit GrabCAD blog. Stratasys Direct Manufacturing has a great comprehensive overview of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), and preparing STL files. For help in creating your own FDM supports, check out GrabCAD Tutorials. Once you master the fundamentals of 3d printing, download "After the Basics: a 3D Printing Handbook".
Your entry must include:
1. STEP files
2. Native CAD files (strongly encouraged)
3. Renderings
4. STLs oriented for printing
5. Description of the device, design process, how it operates, and the problem it solves.
Technical requirements: Must fulfill design considerations stated above:
1. Printable in ABS, PLA, PET on low-cost/consumer FDM machines
2. Must print without major defects
3. May print with support if modeled in (must print without auto-generated support)
4. Must minimize material usage while maximizing strength and durability
5. Must have a wrist that terminates in an M10 bolt to integrate with the ICRC wrist unit
6. Highly anthropomorphic
7. Minimum functional requirement: must be able to grasp and lift a full 12oz soda can.
Additional Design Considerations: Submissions will be judged against technical criteria as well supporting assembly and printing documentation. Ease of assembly, total cost, and print time will also be evaluated.
Judging criteria:
Judges will weigh a variety of factors but will place special attention upon the following:
1. Functionality: Does the device function as intended per the concept? Does it achieve the minimum functional requirement of grasping a 12oz soda can?
2. Printability: Does the device print without defects and without support material?
3. Aesthetics: Does the device appear clean, professional, and well-designed?
4. Weight and material usage: Does the design use a minimum amount of material to achieve its functionality? Is there material that can be removed? How heavy is the completed device?
5. Concept: What problem did the designer try to solve?
ENTERING THE COMPETITION The Challenge is open to everyone except employees and families of GrabCAD and the Sponsor. Multiple entries are welcome. Team entries are welcome. By entering the Challenge you: 1. Accept the official GrabCAD Challenges Terms & Conditions. 2. Agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges (Jury). 3. Warrant that you are eligible to participate. 4. Warrant that the submission is your original work. 5. Warrant, to the best of your knowledge, your work is not, and has not been in production or otherwise previously published or exhibited. 6. Warrant neither the work nor its use infringes the intellectual property rights (whether a patent, utility model, functional design right, aesthetic design right, trademark, copyright or any other intellectual property right) of any other person. 7. Warrant participation shall not constitute employment, assignment or offer of employment or assignment. 8. Are not entitled to any compensation or reimbursement for any costs. 9. Agree the Sponsor and GrabCAD have the right to promote all entries. If you think an entry may infringe on existing copyrighted materials, please email challenges@grabcad.com
SUBMITTING AN ENTRY Only entries uploaded to GrabCAD through the "Submit entry" button on this Challenge page will be considered an entry. Only public entries are eligible. We encourage teams to use GrabCAD Workbench for developing their entries. Entries are automatically given the tag "enableMPTD" when uploading to GrabCAD. Please do not edit or delete this tag. Only entries with valid tag will participate in the Challenge.
AWARDING THE WINNERS The sum of the Awards is the total gross amount of the reward. The awarded participant is solely liable for the payment of all taxes, duties and other similar measures if imposed on the reward pursuant to the legislation of the country of his/her residence, domicile, citizenship, workplace, or any other criterion of similar nature. Only 1 award per person. All judging decisions are final. All winners will be contacted by the GrabCAD staff to get their contact information and any other information needed to get the prize to them. Payment of cash awards is made through PayPal. All team awards will be transferred to the member who entered the Challenge. We will release the finalists before the announcement of the winners to give the Community an opportunity to share their favorites in the comments, discuss concerns, and allow time for any testing or analysis by the Jury. The Jury will take the feedback into consideration when picking the winners. Winning designs will be chosen based on the Rules and Requirements. - Entry deadline is May 15, 2016 (11:59pm UTC). - The finalists will be announced by June 9, 2016. - The winners will be announced by June 24th, 2016. ***UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED to May 29, 2016 (11:59pm UTC). - The finalists will be announced by June 23, 2016. - The winners will be announced by July 7, 2016.*** Void where prohibited.
SPEC REFINEMENT We want to make sure that you have all of the information that you need to tackle the challenge. As such, in the first week of a challenge we may refine the specifications or offer clarifications based on member feedback. Please ask any questions that you have!
$3,400 in Prizes for top 5 winners!
$1,500
$1,000
$500
$300
$100
The judges panel consists of both certified prosthetists and senior designers from the ECF and the e-NABLE community, ensuring that submissions will be evaluated from many perspectives.
The Enable Community Foundation (ECF) was established in 2014 to advance, generalize, and support the phenomenon of internationally, crowd sourced, digital humanitarian problem solving practiced in the e-NABLE community. Our innovative idea offers a game-changing model for many unmet needs and unseized opportunities.
e-NABLE, an open community started in 2013 as a map of volunteers and recipients by e-NABLE community founder and ECF co-founder, Jon Schull, is a fast growing global volunteer assistive technology network built on a loose infrastructure of electronic communications, 3D printing, and good will. A laboratory of social innovation, e-NABLE has proven that large numbers of technologically empowered volunteers are ready, willing and able to donate their time, talent and fellowship to collaboratively design, fabricate and deliver inexpensive assistive devices to those who need them.
The Enable Community Foundation aims to implement and validate a scalable high-tech infrastructure that matches recipients with volunteers who create open-sourced assistive technologies…for free or minimal costs. It supports educational materials and program to recruit and develop more digital humanitarians. And it is developing partnerships and programs to bring these inspirational new methods and solutions to the entire world.
In the long run, crowd-sourced digital humanitarians can address many kinds of unmet needs. In the near term, we are “changing the world, one hand at a time. Follow EFC on Facebook and Twitter.
Scott Summit
Jeff Erenstone
Phillip Stevens
Andrea Hess
Peter Binkley
Skip Meetze
Andreas Bastian
Ben EwingHave an awesome idea for this competition? Want to win cool prizes? Sign-up now to upload your entries.
If you don't receive the email within an hour (and you've checked your Spam folder), email us as confirmation@grabcad.com.
42 comments
Adriano Ordoz Barissa about 8 years ago
Congratulations to all involved for the initiative of this project! Using technology and mutual understanding to develop a product that will benefit many people is really satisfying.
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
I have inprogress a full prosthetic designed for the purpose of a College Capstone Senior Project. I have used Enable and open source info as a partial basis for the project. My plan was to resubmit my progress made after completion. Does this violate the open source rules or is this an exception since it's destination is the prosthetics movement?
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
The project is even intended to be 3D printed. My final components are printing as I type on an ultimaker 2 3D printer.
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
Will also include all the different component methods I have found or developed during the project.
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
Can you give us forearm profile aswell as the socket? Like from the elbow down? For components that will strap to the side of the arm.
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
Looking at the supplied pdf the prothetic arm seems to have similar proportions to a human arm somewhat more round.
Andreas Bastian almost 8 years ago
Hi Nathaniel,
Yes, you may base you design on existing work from the e-NABLE community provided that it is properly attributed and abides by the license(s) of the design or designs that you have modified. Judges will score based on the improvements to the design and not the base design itself. It sounds like you found a solution to forearm profile and proportions in the ICRC document, but let us know if you ahve any more questions!
Abhijith almost 8 years ago
I have a question, in the 3D printing of the hand, will they print only the 'hand' or the springs and the cables that come along with it? Thank you.
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
When 3D printing it's some assembly required. None of the parts are printed in the connected shape unless they are made of the flexable filments like ninjaflex. Cables springs etc are added after printing hands fingers etc and assembling.
A B. Ingram almost 8 years ago
Hello, In the process of streamlining my submitted design to a more unisex profile, I have triggered a cascade of significant changes. Should I simply take v1 down and make a new submission or should I keep the same submission but replace the models?
Ben Ewing almost 8 years ago
Hi A B. Ingram, its up to you! What the judges review will be the files that are with your model when the challenge ends. If you chose to replace the files on the existing model, make sure to remove any that are no longer part of the entry.
darkunicorn13 almost 8 years ago
I feel like having the "anthropomorphic" requirement takes away from the possibilities for a use-specific terminal device. There are so many creative and interesting end effectors that look nothing like human hands. :\
Bret Spangler almost 8 years ago
does anyone know the M10 thread pitch, guessing 10x1
Andreas Bastian almost 8 years ago
Bret, M10 thread pitch is 1.5mm-- see here for drawing and CAD: http://www.mcmaster.com/#93635a420/=12ar2bw
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
What prompted the coarse M10 over a finer thread?
Adam Arabian almost 8 years ago
Not a judge, but Chani, that is true, but many, many studies and extensive experience working globally tells us that acceptance of devices is dictated by a need for anthropomorphic geometry. That being said, recognize that that is only one of the criteria; a winning entry doesn't have to be "human" looking, but one that is will clearly score higher.
Adam Arabian almost 8 years ago
Nathaniel Andresmooi, that is the standard thread for International Committee of the Red Cross prosthetic devices.
Ben Ewing almost 8 years ago
Hi all, in the spirit of designing a great terminal device that could help thousands of people, we decided to extend the challenge deadline a couple of weeks to May 29th. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them here!
Georgios Tsigonias almost 8 years ago
Well, that sounds like "None of the existing entries are good terminal devices, so..."
Ben Ewing almost 8 years ago
Hi Georgios Tsigonias, not all! The judging process hasn't started yet. We just want to give more members the opportunity to participate and get their entries in for this complex and impactful challenge.
Kseniia Kyrylyshena almost 8 years ago
Thanks for the deadline extension! Now we'll have time to finish the design properly :)
Travis Petersen almost 8 years ago
Cool. I am almost ready with my design!
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
Thanks for extension
Eric Bubar almost 8 years ago
Are there any rules regarding integration of non-3d printed materials? I'm noticing springs, magnets, etc being added to designs and want to make sure this is allowed. Thanks!
Paulina Manzano almost 8 years ago
¿Are accessories allowed?
Nathaniel Andresmooi almost 8 years ago
Probably if you can model and print them
Andreas Bastian almost 8 years ago
Eric, additional hardware is allowed, but it's availability to a clinic implementing one of these devices will be considered. For example, a few extra nuts and bolts or cabling are ok as they are likely more available than something exotic, like a electromagnet or micro hydraulic cylinder.
Centralarm Ingeniería almost 8 years ago
can we use a rod end and some washers? it would really improve my engineers entries.
Andreas Bastian almost 8 years ago
Provided the rod and washers are sizes that can be easily sourced internationally, feel free to integrate into your design!
Adriano Ordoz Barissa almost 8 years ago
It is expected when the result comes out of the finalists ?
Ali ZAHI almost 8 years ago
Congrats and good luck for all finalists!
Jordane Julieno almost 8 years ago
Congratulations to all finalists and to the jury! Good luck!
Nicolas Marc almost 8 years ago
Congrats to all participants and finalists.
Thank you "Enable community foundation" and Grabcad for this very interesting challenge.
Very good choice for the winning design.
Best regards.
Nicolas.
Krasimir Asenov / KRESTONI GLOBAL almost 8 years ago
Congrats to all the winners!
Ahmad Nazree almost 8 years ago
Congratulation to all the winners and the finalist. We'll try harder next time.
Adriano Ordoz Barissa almost 8 years ago
Thank you and congratulations to all the winners!
Jordane Julieno almost 8 years ago
Congratulation to all participants specially mister Zipman, it always been my favourite ;-)
Thanks for the interet of the challenge and the clear description of it. Best regards
Travis Petersen almost 8 years ago
I am not sure if my email was received about prize delivery.
Travis Petersen over 7 years ago
Thanks!!
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