The Dextrus hand is a robotic hand that can be put together for well under £650 ($1000) and offers much of the functionality of a human hand. Existing prosthetic hands are magnificent devices, capable of providing a large amount of dexterity using a simple control system. The problem is that they cost somewhere between £7,000-£70,000 ($11,000-$110,000) — far too much for most people to afford, especially in developing countries. Through the Open Hand Project, an open source project with the goal of making robotic prosthetic hands more accessible to amputees, a fully-functional prototype has already been developed. An indiegogo campaign is currently underway to provide funds for refining and testing the design.

In order to broaden the reach of prosthetic devices, I decided to create a low-cost prosthetic hand while in my final year at the University of Plymouth. I ended up creating a fully functioning prototype that went on to win three awards for innovation and excellence.

The Open Hand Project tackles a number of problems to bring the cost down. One of these is the customized nature of prosthetic devices. Usually they need to be custom-fitted to the user’s remaining arm, which can rack up medical bills with consultations and fittings. The Dextrus hand connects directly to an NHS fitted, passive prosthesis. This means no additional custom fitting and no extra cost.