For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique. The new technology makes it possible to 3D print special plastics with elastic qualities in one go. This opens up completely new possibilities for the production of soft robotic structures.
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.
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.
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.