Custom components · 7 February 06 by Jesse Crossen
We are starting a pilot project to make it easier for people to modify terminal devices like hands and feet for specialized applications. It works like this:
- We take an existing device and reverse-engineer it using free CAD software from Alibre. This leaves us with a 3D digital model of the original device.
- Someone downloads our digital models and modifies them with CAD software.
- The modified files are be sent to a rapid prototyping company, where a 3D printer will make plastic or metal parts from the model.
- The parts are finished and assembled into a working device.
We are starting with the Trautman Hook, an upper-extremity terminal device that has been out of production for some years. Kenneth Heide, CPO brought this device to our attention in the interests of getting it produced again, and generously loaned us two used devices and two unused devices for reverse engineering. The Trautman Hook backlocks when closed, uses fewer rubber bands than other models, and packs a high mechanical advantage into a small package. Its simplicity, at three metal parts and two screws, makes it a promising platform for customization. Here is a picture of the original Trautman Hook and an in-process CAD model of the new one:
We hope that between bringing back old designs and providing a platform for new ones, the terminal device market will become more flexible and diverse.
