This 3D-printed prosthetic hand combines speed and strength with simplicity

Prosthetic limbs have come a long way from the heavy, solid hands and legs of yesteryear, but it’s still difficult to pack a range of motion into them without complex or bulky machinery. But new research out of Cornell uses a cleverly designed 3D-printed mechanism to achieve speed and strength with simple construction — and it costs a lot less, too.
“Developing prosthetic limbs requires designers to make difficult trade-offs among size, weight, force, speed, and cost of the act