Demand for hand prostheses in Ukraine has risen sharply. Delft researcher Gerwin Smit designed a 3D-printed hand prosthesis. It is affordable and easy to produce.
In India, this hand prosthesis is already being used. Indian technology company Vispala donated Smit's 3D-printed hand prostheses to war victims in Ukraine. Meanwhile, 350 hand prostheses could be handed over in Kiev. This was done with the help of a donation from US IT company Cisco.
Affordable hand prosthesis
Engineer Gerwin Smit is designer of the so-called 100-Dollar Hand, which is affordable and easy to produce. This is possible by using 3D printing technology combined with laser cutting. Eighty per cent of people who need hand prostheses live in countries with too little budget. For these people, Smit's functional artificial hand therefore offers the solution. Smit: "I am happy to contribute to this initiative. In addition, with the help of the Movendi Foundation, I hope to raise more donations for a subsequent donation to Ukraine."
iGrip
After designing the 100-Dollar Hand, social enterprise Vispala made it production-ready last year. As of 2021, hundreds of the artificial hands have already been made under the name iGrip and then distributed in India. Smit and his team there are currently studying how people experience the hand prostheses. With this feedback, they can then improve the artificial hands.
Source: TU Delft, Photo: Ministry of Health Ukraine
