Replacing foot and lower leg with 3D printed prosthetic fin
Essesi Design Studio designs Nimble, a concept modular 3D printed prosthetic fin that can help athletic amputees swim again. An attachable technology, the assistive object replaces the foot and lower leg that users have lost. It uses a carbon fiber for the shell, and inside this main body sits a lattice structure made of rubber material.
This part bends during movement, so in this case, when the swimmer kicks, the lattice structure flexes, creating thrust that moves them forward through water. The same lattice structure handles another task: it absorbs impact to protect the remaining limb section from experiencing discomfort or pain during swimming.
all images courtesy of Essesi Design Studio
Modular assistive device features bendable lattice structure
The design studio shapes the outer shell from carbon fiber to make the modular 3D printed prosthetic fin lightweight and robust. They then print the internal lattice component from rubber, and a plastic section connects these two parts and attaches the overall design to the user’s limb. The geometric structure within the piece returns to its original shape during swimming and extreme movements, thanks to the use of rubber. Five objects make up the modular 3D printed prosthetic fin. The first is the main body, which shelters the torch-shaped lattice structure.
To lock the geometric piece inside, the top and bottom come with rotatable locks, with the upper part suitable for prosthetic attachment. The last piece is the fin, which is secured at the bottom using a twist lock. It is time to swim, then. When the swimmer kicks downward, the lattice compresses and stores energy, and when they complete the kick, it snaps back to how it was before. This snap creates the thrust force, which is the same compression action that distributes forces across the lattice structure instead of concentrating them at the attachment point on the user’s limb. This may make it easier for the athletic amputees to swim without exerting too much effort. So far, the modular 3D printed prosthetic fin by Essesi Design Studio is still a concept.
Essesi Design Studio designs Nimble, a concept modular 3D printed prosthetic fin
the assistive object replaces the foot and lower leg that users have lost
the lattice structure made of rubber material flexes during swimming
the structure also absorbs impact to protect the remaining limb section from discomfort
so far, the attachable assistive object is a concept project
project info:
name: Nimble
studio: Essesi Design Studio | @albertoessesi
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