Integrated 3D Printing of Robotic Structures and Circuits
Abstract
Advances in upper limb prostheses have lowered the cost of prosthetic limbs,
enabling access for a larger population of amputees. Other advancements, such as
robotic prosthetics, enable amputees to more easily grasp objects at will. Some prostheses
can even restore the sensation of touch to an amputee. Adding functionality to
the prosthetic devices can also increase the price. 3D-printing offers a means to produce
prostheses at a lower cost. Work has already been done to create a 3D-printed
robotic prosthetics. This thesis presents preliminary research in the direction of a 3Dprinted,
sensing prosthetic hand. One way of reducing cost and increasing reliability
is to print conductive elements into the structural components of prostheses instead
inserting or attaching them after fabrication. I use a new conductive PLA plastic,
F-Electric TM, to print the paths for the sensor data to travel. In this thesis, I establish
a set of procedures for mixed material printing, in which one of the materials is
electrically conductive. I construct several pressure sensors utilizing the conductive
material for the electrodes. The sensors nominally perform as expected and can be
seen as a step towards a 3D-printed tactile sensing prosthetic hand.
Collections
- OU - Theses [2090]