Community Prosthetic Fitting Initiative — Design Refinement Discussion
Hi OpenBionics community! 👋
We're coordinating a community prosthetic fitting initiative across the Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, MA area. Our goal is to bring open-source prosthetic design and fitting into local communities, making custom prosthetics more accessible through collaboration between engineers, clinicians, and volunteers.
Why We're Reaching Out
The OpenBionics Prosthetic-Hands project is an ideal foundation for our work — the parametric design, 3D-printable fabrication pipeline, and selectively-lockable differential mechanism align perfectly with community-driven fitting needs. We want to refine the design to better serve:
- Local accessibility — Making fittings available in underserved communities
- Customization workflows — Streamlining the parametric CAD pipeline for non-engineer volunteers
- Socket & fitting integration — Improving how the hand integrates with standard prosthetic sockets
- Volunteer onboarding — Creating clear guides for community volunteers without engineering backgrounds
Proposed Discussion Topics
- Design for Community Fabrication: Can the design be simplified for makers/community college workshops? How do we document assembly steps for non-specialists?
- Socket Compatibility: How can we better document or adapt the hand's interface to work with standard PTB/catalog sockets?
- Material & Cost Optimization: Are there local material sources or cost-reduction opportunities for community-scale production?
- Testing & Validation: What community-level fit testing protocols would ensure safety and functionality?
- EMG & Myoelectric Integration: What's the path to adding affordable myoelectric control for community users?
Our Team
- Prosthetic fitting coordinators
- Volunteer engineers & biomechanics students
- Community health advocates
- 3D printing & fabrication volunteers
We'd love your input! If you're involved with OpenBionics and interested in collaborating on community fitting, please comment below or reach out. We're also happy to share our local findings and volunteer network.
Community Prosthetic Fitting Initiative — Design Refinement Discussion
Hi OpenBionics community! 👋
We're coordinating a community prosthetic fitting initiative across the Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, MA area. Our goal is to bring open-source prosthetic design and fitting into local communities, making custom prosthetics more accessible through collaboration between engineers, clinicians, and volunteers.
Why We're Reaching Out
The OpenBionics Prosthetic-Hands project is an ideal foundation for our work — the parametric design, 3D-printable fabrication pipeline, and selectively-lockable differential mechanism align perfectly with community-driven fitting needs. We want to refine the design to better serve:
Proposed Discussion Topics
Our Team
We'd love your input! If you're involved with OpenBionics and interested in collaborating on community fitting, please comment below or reach out. We're also happy to share our local findings and volunteer network.