Lorenzo Spreafico — a design student at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom — has embarked on his final project that entails a 3D-printed prosthetic that is capable of providing "tactile feedback for a low cost."
The 'T1' boasts a plastic arm silhouette with "vibrotactile feedback" that has the ability to "relay information about how firmly a person is gripping or touching an object via vibrations to their skin." This is a highly innovative and desirable approach to 3D-printed prosthetics. For one, it gives users a sense of touch. Secondly, it is a quality that has not been widely adopted either — Lorenzo Spreafico referenced his research that revealed that touch-base technologies were " either nonviable for commercial use or were destined to be prohibitively expensive."
Affordable 3D-Printed Prosthetic
Lorenzo Spreafico's Final Project Provides Tactile Feedback
Trend Themes
1. Tactile Feedback Prosthetics - The development of 3D-printed prosthetics with tactile feedback feature presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the prosthetics industry.
2. Low-cost Prosthetics - The advancement of 3D-printing technology for prosthetics offers a new avenue to increase access to low-cost prosthetics, thereby disrupting the healthcare industry.
3. Customized Prosthetics - The use of 3D-printing technology allows for the creation of custom-made prosthetics, which presents a significant disruptive innovation opportunity in the prosthetics industry.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - The use of 3D-printing technology for the production of prosthetics presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the healthcare industry.
2. 3D Printing - The advancement of 3D-printing technology for the production of prosthetics presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the manufacturing industry.
3. Education - The development of innovative 3D-printed prosthetics by students presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the education industry.