3D Printed Soft Robotics Prosthetic Hand Project
Researched, designed and built a fully operating 3-D printed soft robotic prosthetic hand (palm and actuators) utilizing pressured air to enter the 2022 Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PJAS) Competition. The project involved exploring the application of 3D Printing to soft robotics. Soft robotics is a rising area of research because soft robotics can grip objects better than mechanical ones.
Critical goals included: Creation of actuators (fingers) that were directly 3D printed and required no post-processing; Creation of a 3D printed palm that could house the necessary components and resemble an actual hand; Valves placed inside the palm so that different prosthetic hands could be interchanged easily; and finally, Creation of a custom control board to operate the completed hand.
My project was awarded the most prestigious honor at the PJAS regional competition...
- The Meslo Award for Scientific Excellence (Best of Show) and earned a perfect score
It earned a First Place Award at the PJAS State Competition in May 2022