Open Bionics wins UK leg of Dyson award

Developed by UK design engineer Joel Gibbard, the Open Bionics hand can be 3D printed and assembled in just 40 hours and costs under £1,000, a fraction of the cost of other advanced prosthetics.

As previously reported in The Engineer the device can perform the same tasks as more expensive systems including individual finger movement through the use of electromyographical sensors which are stuck to the amputee’s skin.

“We’ve encountered many challenges in designing our hands,” commented Gibbard, “but the reactions of the individuals we help fuels our perseverance to bring them to market. My aim is for Open Bionics to disrupt the prosthetics industry by offering affordable prosthetics for all.”

James Dyson said: “3D printing has been used by engineers as a prototyping tool for decades, but Joel is using it in a new way to provide cheaper, more advanced prosthetics for amputees. It shows how bold ideas don’t need a big budget and if successful his technology will improve lives around the world.”