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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 12

Get a Grip: Engineering a Smart Prosthetic Hand

A photo of three cardboard hand designs, along with an Arduino circuit board, sitting on a table. The hands are connected by wires to the circuit.Different prototypes created by students

Students act as engineers as they design, build, and test a smart prosthetic grip system using Arduino, a force-sensitive resistor (FSR), and a servo motor. Students construct a prosthetic finger or hand from materials of their choice and program it to move through different angles of motion, modeling how real-world assistive technologies function. As they test their designs, students collect data to investigate how the angle of the prosthetic joint affects the force applied at the fingertip. They use this data to create and analyze a quadratic model, identify the angle that produces maximum grip force, and interpret key features of the function such as the vertex and intercepts. Using their mathematical analysis, students refine and optimize their prosthetic designs to improve performance.

Biomedical engineers and mechanical engineers work together to design and improve prosthetic hands. Biomedical engineers focus on how the prosthetic interacts with the human body by studying anatomy, movement, and user needs to ensure the device is safe, comfortable, and functional. Mechanical engineers design and refine the physical components of the prosthetic, including joints, linkages, and gripping mechanisms, so the hand can move smoothly, apply the right amount of force, and withstand repeated use. By combining knowledge of the human body with principles of mechanics and materials, these engineers continuously test, analyze data, and improve prosthetic designs to better restore hand function and quality of life for users.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Design and construct a prosthetic hand prototype using different materials and servo motor.
  • Control a servo motor with input from a force-sensitive resistor (FSR) using Arduino.
  • Collect and analyze data relating grip force to servo position.
  • Model the relationship between the servo motor position (angle of rotation) and the grip force (pressure) applied by the prosthetic hand, using a quadratic function and interpreting the parameters.

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