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3D printed thumb
Dani Clode's 3D Printed Prosthetic "The Third Thumb"
Dani Clode takes the meaning of prosthesis quite literally: rather than fixing or replacing, the Latin word's original meaning is to add something. With “The Third Thumb,” Clode has designed an attachable 3D printed thumb controlled by the feet–and challenges our perception of prosthetics.
Watch the video to learn how “The Third Thumb” works and how it extends the wearer’s abilities.
Her graduation project at the Royal College of Art in London combines a seemingly simple design with refined technology. 3D printing enabled the young designer to achieve the level of precision required for the prosthetic on an accessible machine and with a quick turnaround.
Clode’s design work is centered around the body and making human augmentation aesthetically appealing and approachable. Her previous work ranges from an experimental bone knitter, currently exhibited at the Vienna Biennale, to a prosthetic arm for the disabled model Kelly Knox.
“The Third Thumb” has been featured in various press outlets, including The Verge, Dezeen, and NBC News.
How did you get the idea for designing a 3D printed prosthetic?
The idea started when I was working on my dissertation at Royal College of Arts in London. I started to research prosthetics and became fascinated with them as a product. I came across the origin of the word “prosthesis” and found that it meant “in addition to.” This really inspired me to look into reframing prosthetics as extensions, rather than anything that “fixes” or “replaces.”
Prosthetics are such unique products; it’s a product relationship that is unlike any other, and I wanted to really explore this connection that develops between the wearer and the limb. I wanted the design to be able to be experienced by anyone.
How does 3D printing fit into your design process?
I utilize the Form 2 to prototype and realize final models.
I don’t like to work on a design in 3D virtual space for too long. I usually create my first prototype, print it, and then return to Rhino to update the model. I can go back and forth like this up to five or six times before I am happy with my final print.
I think when you work in a virtual space too long, you start to lose the tangibility of the design, especially when it comes to designs that attach to the body. So it’s great that we now have the facilities as designers to be able to very quickly work in both physical and virtual space almost simultaneously.
What are special requirements or attributes of the designs you’re 3D printing?
Feeling finished was a big part of it. With so many 3D printed parts, you can tell right away how it was printed, but with the Form 2, after sanding and a little bit of oil, it looks like a finished part.
I also had some very tight tolerances with “The Third Thumb.” There are pipes running through the hand piece that house the teflon tubing for the wires; I was working with a tolerance of about ±0.
2 mm.
The hand cover and servo wrist piece on “The Third Thumb” are both produced with Formlabs Grey Resin. The jewelry thumb, shown on the left, is a version of“The Third Thumb” reimagined in a kinetic jewelry setting, and is printed with Formlabs Black Resin.Dani Clode used Formlabs Grey Resin for “The Third Thumb” prosthesis. Request a free sample part.
What specific aspects of the design and workflow were made possible by 3D printing?
The fast turnaround helped enormously. I also really appreciate not having to paint the prints for them to look good, I think that saved me the most time in my process.
The biggest challenge was definitely the internal pipes in my design. It was such a tight tolerance, and the Form 2 performed great with the tolerances I provided.
“The Third Thumb” uses Bluetooth connectivity and a motor in a 3D printed wrist to a pressure sensor attached to the shoe sole.Your project got quite a bit of press coverage.
How do you explain the hype?I think it catches your eye online. It’s a bit weird, but it makes you think about the possibilities.
Balancing glasses with an extra digit.Human augmentation is also a big topic at the moment, and I think “The Third Thumb” slots into that conversation perfectly. That was really what this project was about, having conversation about ability and prosthetics.
The goal of “The Third Thumb” is to create a catalyst for society to consider human extension, framed in an approachable, accessible design. It is a tool, an experience, and a form of self-expression. When we start to extend our abilities, and when we reframe prosthetics as extensions, then we start to shift the focus from “fixing” disability, to extending ability.
What projects are on the horizon for you? Will you continue to do 3D printing and prosthetics?
I have already used the Form 2 with another project, as part of a prosthetic arm. 3D printing is the perfect medium for prosthetic projects.
It enables quick prototyping, customized designs for various body sizes, and one-off production. I will definitely continue to use Form 2 resin in my work, it is a great material and the quality is to hard to beat.
Manufacturing Affordable Custom Prosthetics
Inspired by Dani Clode’s project? Learn how 3D printing empowered a Virginia startup to challenge the prosthetics industry and manufacture affordable custom prosthetic hands.
Need an Extra Thumb? The Third Thumb Project Uses 3D Printing to Change Perceptions of Prosthetics - 3DPrint.com
Many people have, at one time or another, wished for an extra set of hands to do everything they need to get done, or to carry loads of items. Royal College of Art graduate Dani Clode might not be able to fulfill that wish, but she can give you the next best thing – an extra thumb. No, there’s no questionable genetic engineering at work here – just good old-fashioned 3D printing.
(Okay, maybe 3D printing isn’t old-fashioned yet, but anyway.) For her graduate degree in design, Clode engineered a prosthetic thumb that gives wearers a bit of extra reach and dexterity.
Part of the idea of the Third Thumb Project, explains Clode, is to redefine what the word “prosthetic” means. We typically think of a prosthetic device as something that replaces a body part that has been lost, but that’s not always the case – a prosthetic can also be used to augment or expand.
“The Third Thumb investigates the relationship between the body and prosthetic technology in new ways,” she says. “It is part tool, part experience, and part self-expression; a model by which we better understand human response to artificial extensions. It instigates necessary conversation about the definition of ‘ability.’ The origin of the word ‘prosthesis’ meant ‘to add, put onto;’ so not to fix or replace, but to extend. The Third Thumb is inspired by this word origin, exploring human augmentation and aiming to reframe prosthetics as extensions of the body.
”
The Third Thumb is a 3D printed device that wraps around the hand and attaches to a wristband, providing an actual third thumb on the opposite side of the hand from the natural thumb. The design of the thumb itself is based on live hinges, 3D printed from Ninjaflex filament, while the hand and wrist components – both of which contain motors – are 3D printed from Formlabs grey resin. The parts are connected by a bowden cable system made of teflon tubing and wire, similar to a bicycle brake.
“The human thumb has a really dynamic movement, the opposing movements working together to make the thumb more functional than a single finger,” says Clode. “The Third Thumb replicates these movements by using two motors pulling against the natural tension of a flexible 3d printed material…3d printing is the perfect medium for this project, as it enables quick prototyping, customised designs for various hand sizes and one-off production.”
The movement of the Third Thumb is actually controlled by the feet.
Two pressure sensors are placed into the wearer’s shoes and connected to the thumb through a Bluetooth connection. With an extra thumb, wearers can extend their musical instrument-playing abilities, more easily grasp objects, or just improve their dexterity overall.
The design is currently in the working prototype stage, and Clode envisions two possible design aesthetics for the device. The “tool aesthetic” is designed to look functional, with a design that combines the look of a watch, a power tool and a fitness tracker. The “kinetic jewelry aesthetic” is a more designer look, inspired by the appearance of a tattoo – it looks more like jewelry, yet still serves the same function.
“The Third Thumb aims to challenge the perception of prosthetics,” Clode continues. “By extending the body I see it creating a similar trajectory for prosthetics as glasses or plastic surgery. Creating a shift from medical device to positive body image statement…When we start to extend our abilities, and when we reframe prosthetics as extensions, then we start to shift the focus from fixing disability, to extending ability.
”
The design recently won the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Award for Creativity, for which she and the other five HHA winners were each awarded £2,000 to help in further project development. Discuss in the Third Thumb forum at 3DPB.com.
[Sources/Images: Dani Clode Design, Dezeen]
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Tagged with: 3d printed prosthetic • 3d printed prosthetic device • 3d printed prosthetic devices • 3d printed prosthetics • 3D printed thumb • Dani Clode • formlabs resin • ninjaflex • Royal College of Art • Third Thumb Project
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