Posted on 01/19/2011 8:59:44 AM PST by smokingfrog
Kaylene Kau, a recent graduate from the industrial design department at the University of Washington was challenged by a professor to 'push the boundaries of prosthetic design.' So she did, and here, inspired by the fluid movements of an octopus's arms, is her multi-jointed Prosthetic Arm.
Kau's research on prosthetic arms revealed that they are used primarily to assist the dominant arm, rather than to mimic the actions of the dominant arm. Her flexible design enables two important functions of her inspiration, as the octopus arm is great at picking up and holding things of various sizes.
The Prosthetic Arm is fitted to the remaining portion of the missing arm and has a number of separate links which act as joints to enable a variety of bending skills, even a tiny snail curl at the furthest end of the arm to grasp something small.
(Excerpt) Read more at inventorspot.com ...
More pictures at link.
Instead of fingerprints, does she leave suction marks?
It definitely makes sense, but it’s also definitely weird looking. A very interesting idea.
First thing I thought of.
just a big finger it needs suction cups
Paul the Octopus would be so proud!
*ahem*
L
OK, I did it.
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