• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Thursday, October 23, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

First 3D-printed sensor-operated prosthetic arm for toddlers prototyped by UK engineers

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 13, 2020
in Health
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: University of Lincoln


The lightweight device with soft grip fingers uses an armband fitted with sensors to detect electrical signals naturally conducted by muscles. This enables the toddler to grip and pick up objects in much the same way as they would with a natural arm.

While muscle-stimulated (or ‘myoelectric’) prostheses are routinely used by adults, this new smaller device, developed by a team at the University of Lincoln, UK, is the first of its kind to translate the same technology into dimensions suitable for a toddler.

Previously, as well as being expensive to build, producing prosthesis for children under two has been considered problematic as a child’s fast growth rates mean that devices would need to be frequently replaced. By using 3D printing, the SIMPA (Soft-Grasp Infant Myoelectric Prosthetic Arm) is cheaper to produce than conventional prosthesis and can be custom made to the individual child’s required size without the need for traditional plaster casting techniques.

Another issue with existing prosthetics for children is the high rejection rates. The early fitting of a functional myoelectric device has been shown to reduce this risk, which is something that would be made possible with the use of the new SIMPA device.

Dr Khaled Goher, Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at the University of Lincoln and the lead engineer on the project, said: “Many traditional active prosthetics are unsuitable for toddlers as they are very time consuming to construct and heavy. Our proposed system would utilise a seven-channel paediatric armband with motion sensors allowing infants to benefit from and become familiar with active prosthetics, with evidence showing that the earlier the exposure, the more likely for the prosthetics to be accepted and used throughout life.

“So far, the device has been tested for grasp force and effectiveness using a range of everyday objects including toys, bottles and building blocks but the next stage of the project is to test the prototype design on toddlers.”

Dr Goher added: “We are planning to use algorithm training which would utilise games to engage with the toddlers and attune the system to the ‘grab’ signals from the armband.”

###

Media Contact
Elizabeth Allen
[email protected]
01-522-886-196

Original Source

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/news/latestnews/

Tags: BiologyBiotechnologyComputer ScienceDisabled PersonsElectrical Engineering/ElectronicsMedicine/HealthPediatricsRehabilitation/Prosthetics/Plastic SurgeryResearch/DevelopmentTechnology/Engineering/Computer Science
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

High-Fat Winter Snacks Could Mislead the Body Into Gaining Weight

October 23, 2025

Cellarity Unveils New Framework for Discovering Cell State-Correcting Medicines in Science

October 23, 2025

Parental Opioid Prescriptions Associated with Increased Opioid Use in Teens and Young Adults

October 23, 2025

Gene Acquisition Through Hitchhiking DNA Rescues Species from Extinction

October 23, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Sperm MicroRNAs: Crucial Mediators of Paternal Exercise Capacity Transmission

    1277 shares
    Share 510 Tweet 319
  • Stinkbug Leg Organ Hosts Symbiotic Fungi That Protect Eggs from Parasitic Wasps

    308 shares
    Share 123 Tweet 77
  • ESMO 2025: mRNA COVID Vaccines Enhance Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy

    165 shares
    Share 66 Tweet 41
  • New Study Suggests ALS and MS May Stem from Common Environmental Factor

    132 shares
    Share 53 Tweet 33

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

High-Fat Winter Snacks Could Mislead the Body Into Gaining Weight

Cellarity Unveils New Framework for Discovering Cell State-Correcting Medicines in Science

Parental Opioid Prescriptions Associated with Increased Opioid Use in Teens and Young Adults

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 66 other subscribers
  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.