Two-year-old Sol with his fully-functioning Stratasys 3D printed hydraulic prosthetic arm, which enables him to move his thumb on his own (Credit: Business Wire)
A hydraulic prosthetic arm was developed by Ambionics founder Ben Ryan for his two-year-old son, using 3D printing technology from Stratasys. Ryan says he used the Autodesk Fusion 360 during the design process as well as a Stratasys Connex 3D Printer.
“Ben 3D printed flexible actuators and a power-splitting unit (double acting helical bellow or DAHB) for the prosthetic,” according to Business Wire.”The DAHB unit enables the wearer to open and close the thumb in manual mode or with assistive power (using compressed air or a hydraulic pump and reservoir), but the grip continues to operate manually in the event of power interruption.”
