Biomedical · Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials
3D-Printed Prosthetic Finger with Tendon Actuation
Design and 3D print an articulated prosthetic finger driven by a servo and tendon lines. Measure grip force and range of motion. A standout, buildable biomedical/assistive-device portfolio piece. NOTE: Educational project only. NOT a medical device and not for clinical or diagnostic use. (Requires a 3D printer)
Major
Biomedical
Focus area
Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials
Total hours
35-55 hours
What you'll need
- PLA 3D printer filament 1.75mm for parts
- MG996R metal gear servo motor 2 pack
- Arduino Uno R3 ATmega328P microcontroller board
- force sensitive resistor FSR pressure sensor pack
- fishing line for tendon actuation
- breadboard jumper wires male female assortment pack
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Steps
- Design finger segments and joints in CAD with channels for tendon lines.
- 3D print the parts and assemble the finger with the fishing line tendons.
- Mount the servo and program the Arduino to pull the tendons and curl the finger.
- Add the force sensor to measure grip force at the fingertip.
- Measure range of motion and grip force, then tweak the design to improve them.
- Film the finger in action and document the design iterations for your portfolio.
What to photograph for your portfolio
- Printed finger assembly
- grip-force measurements
- range-of-motion demo video
- CAD model
- actuation test
Resume bullet starters
Copy one, then swap in your own numbers.
Designed and built a 3D-Printed prosthetic finger with tendon actuation using Biomedical CAD, 3D printing, tendon actuation
Applied servo control and force measurement to implement, test, and validate the system end-to-end