Futurology

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A new 3D printer that can simultaneously print polymers of different elasticity and rigidity allows Swiss researchers to build a fully functional robotic human hand with bones, ligaments, and tendons. (www.eurekalert.org)

submitted 1 year ago by Lugh to c/futurology

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[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah.... I work in orthotics and prosthetics, and have been hearing about 3d printed limbs replacing traditional prosthetics for about a decade now.

The biggest problem is that most of these designs are made by 3d printing enthusiasts that have zero education in medicine or material sciences. They don't know the proper therapeutic application of prosthetics, nor how materials interact with human physiology, or how giving a patient a substandard prosthetic may severely increase the chance of the pt rejecting the prosthetics in the future.

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Well, if you read the article, the study authors are very well versed in material science. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a multidisciplinary team working on this project.

[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

I mean the article didn't really talk about the application, it just focused on the printing.

Just because you specialize in new types of polymers doesn't mean you are an expert in the application of those polymers. Prosthetics require a level of durability that exceeds the limited strengths of most all plastics.

There's a reason we fabricate with materials like carbon fiber and titanium, and even those require regular maintenance and replacements.