🦾 Coordinate: Open-Source Prosthetic Design Refinement for Community Fitting Initiative

[zhub9006]

Coordination: Design Refinement Discussions for Open-Source Prosthetic Community Initiative

Hi everyone! 👋

We're organizing a community prosthetic fitting initiative and would love to coordinate with open-source prosthetic design contributors to refine designs for accessibility, affordability, and ease of fabrication.

Current Landscape (from ClinicalTrials.gov)

• 27 active prosthetic clinical trials are currently tracked
• Sponsor distribution:
  • Academic/Other sponsors: 15 (56%) — the dominant force
  • Industry sponsors: 6 (22%)
  • Federal/Government: 6 (22%)
• Phase distribution:
  • Phase 2: 1 (preliminary efficacy, myoelectric/neuromuscular focus)
  • Unknown/Not Applicable: 21 (early-phase, device development, registry)
• Key takeaway: Most active work is in early-phase device development, with academic institutions driving the majority of innovation — a strong alignment with open-source community efforts.

Open-Source Repository Landscape (Key Projects)

1. BlueBionics (MichiganNeuroProsthetics) — Silverhand 1-motor & 2-motor 3D-printed arms for kids (3 stars, 6 forks, GPL-3.0)
2. Open-Source-Low-Cost-Myoelectric-Prosthetic-Arm (r-echeverri) — FDM 3D-printed myoelectric transradial arm ($263 cost, 40+ iterations, TPU 85A + Arduino R4)
3. GalileoHandMechanical (turing-lab) — <$100 DIY 3D-printed prosthetic hand/arm kit
4. Percyus14/Open-source-prosthetic-arm — Raspberry Pi 3B+ based arm with microcontrollers
5. CLoaKY233/prosthetic-hand-SIH — Modular design, ESP32 + BLE + OLED haptic feedback (MIT)
6. MrTG1B/Handy — ESP32-driven myoelectric hand with Android app (MIT)
7. Motto-Matto/DIY-Prosthetic-Hand — <$200 EMG-controlled hand using Talon 3.0 architecture
8. MichiganNeuroProsthetics/BlueBionics — 3D-printed prosthetic arms for children

Proposed Discussion Topics

• Design standardization: Common sizing, modular interfaces, and inter-part compatibility
• Material optimization: PLA vs TPU vs PETG trade-offs for durability, comfort, and printability
• EMG integration: Standardized sensor mounting (Myoware), signal processing pipelines, and Arduino/ESP32 control
• Volume fabrication: Workflows for batch production (Cura profiles, multi-part printing)
• Documentation: Creating reproducible build guides for community volunteers
• Testing & validation: Simple protocols volunteers can follow during community fitting events
• Cost reduction: Bringing the <$263 cost target down further through bulk sourcing and design simplification

How to Contribute

1. Review the linked repositories and identify design aspects you can improve
2. Propose specific design refinements via pull requests
3. Join our community fitting event (details to be announced)
4. Help document build processes and test protocols

Meeting Venue (Community Event)

We're planning a gathering at a central accessible venue in the Harvard Square/Cambridge area:

• Primary suggestion: O'Connell Branch Library (Cross City Branch), 48 Sixth St, Cambridge, MA 02141
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Central to Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville (optimal for our volunteer base)
  • Hours: Mon/Fri 10am–6pm; Tue–Thu 10am–8pm
  • Contact: Cambridge Public Library (www.cambridgepubliclibrary.org)
• Backup: Harvard Square Public Library (8 Cambridge St, Cambridge)
  • Large community room, fully accessible
  • Red Line & bus access from all three cities

We'd love for contributors from all the listed repositories to weigh in. Let's make prosthetic design more accessible together! 💪

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This issue was informed by clinical trial trend analysis from ClinicalTrials.gov showing 27 active prosthetic studies predominantly driven by academic sponsors, and GitHub repository searches identifying 8+ active open-source prosthetic design projects.