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WORTH Partnership Project
Project

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET

Personalised 3d printed prosthesis socket

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET

The project

The aim of the myhand project is to develop a 3D printed palm system that will allow one to perform selected activities. The basis for the design is the assumption that “I use prosthesis whenever I want, it helps me as a tool, but it is my choice whether to use it or not”. The project team is also exploring the possibility of its influence on the possibility of self-realization through unusual myhand functions, giving new possibilities of expression. Myhand customizes the fit to the user’s body thanks to 3D scanning. Most importantly, the myhand project develops in collaboration with users, that participate in the design and evaluation of the prototypes and final solutions.

Storytelling

THE IDEA:

Michal Piasecki – parametric designer and entrepreneur – was looking for a way to merge his previous experience in working with artists, designers, and contemporary technologies with a social call. When he shared the idea of working on a 3d printed hand prosthesis with Dorota Kabala – the designer running studio called We design for physical culture, she found the idea remarkably interesting from designers’ point of view. She also suggested to invite more people for collaboration, such as sociologist and strategy experts. And that is how the myhand team was born.
At the beginning of collaboration, the team met a mother of a boy, that loves to cook. One day he came back home after a cooking workshop. His mother asked – how was it? He was excited and after a while he said, “it would be useful to have something for separating a yolk”. While researching the topic of hand prostheses and experiences of people born with congenital malformations of a hand, the team found that each of them has a different, unique opinion on prostheses. Each one had in mind some other tool that could be useful from time to time.

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 1
THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT:

Initial step of myhand project was to create, design and curate and exhibition on existing prosthetic solutions, from open-source 3d printed ones to a high end robotic prosthesis. This enabled the team to produce the very early myhand sketches, ideas and 3d printed prototypes. This starting stage was completed in collaboration with Monika Brauntsch, Dorota Cetnarska, Renata Mikołajczyk and Wiesław Bartkowski.
The idea for myhand socket was born as a result of the exhibition.
The team also begun to contact users. It came two ways: through a network of friends as well as through an association for persons born with malformation of a hand. The team talked to many people and the general response to the idea was enthusiastic.
Our team conducted an interview with Association “Stowarzyszenie w Naszych Rękach” for parents and guardians of children born with congenital malformations of a hand. The director, Ewa Fabisiak, provided the team with very valuable insights as well as plenty of touching stories.
myhand aims to develop an affordable 3D printed palm system that will allow one to perform selected activities. The basis for the design is the assumption that “I use prosthesis whenever I want, it helps me as a tool, but it is my choice whether to use it or not”. The key to myhand solutions is to adapt to the needs of users through personalization.
The myhand fills the gap between traditional prosthetics and fashion. The core values of myhand is availability, answering a social need and providing a solution to a problem based on learning from potential users.

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THE CREATIVE PROCESS:

myhand has researched and responds to users’ needs, even the ones that are not fully pronounced at the first glance. User centered design is at the core of our approach. The users are the best experts in the field. We have invited 5 of them to work with us along the entire design process. They were testing, reviewing and suggesting new directions at every stage of the Worth project (lub “of the design process”).
myhand team developed a prosthetic socket in collaboration with Malwina, Monika, Szymon and Martyna.
It’s generated automatically. Parametric software receives data from personalised 3d scan and creates a 3d form ready for printing.
myhand team have also developed a second type of socket with Ewa. Here too we have implemented a range of tools from parametric design to 3d printing to create a custom solution for Ewa according to her specific needs.
The development of the prosthetic socket is a crucial step in myhand journey. It was possible thanks to Worth financing.

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 3
MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 4
THE COLLABORATION:

The three partners merged experience from diverse fields: parametric design, design for sports and design of wearables as well as knowledge on digital manufacturing. The project was possible only thanks to a merge of all of these experiences together.

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THE FUTURE:

The team have developed a prototype of a prosthetic socket. Other elements of the prosthetic hand remain to be developed. The direction the team is considering is to create a visual prosthetic, without a spectrum of movement first. As a next step various endings for particular functions such as working on a computer or practicing yoga may appear.

This further development requires additional funding.

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 6
THE MESSAGE:

Each partner brought their unique gifts, experience, and knowledge to the project. Realising myhand socket would not have been possible without it.

MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 7
MYHAND PROSTHETIC SOCKET - image 8
Projects Edition
WORTH Partnership Projects I
Project Call
2nd Call Projects
Project Sector
Textile - Fashion
Project Challenge
Social Innovation

Contact

Michal Piasecki

MICHAL PIASECKI works with designers such as Joris Laarman Lab and Thorsten Franc. He creates custom software that enables the generation of complex geometry. He co-founded tylko.com, which makes personalised furniture available across the EU. He also teaches designers to code. 

Michal studied architecture in Warsaw and then coding with design focus in Barcelona and London. His professional interest is in coding and entrepreneurship. He creates new business models connecting design, local manufacturing and circular economy. 

Name
Michal Piasecki
Website
http://michalpiasecki.com/
Postal address
Poland

WE DESIGN FOR PHYSICAL CULTURE

Dorota studied design at ASP Poznan and IAAC Barcelona. Her passion for design and sports are the basis for her professional path. She has completed (designed, directed) various projects based on a User-Centred Design method, collaborating with social scientists.  

Dorota will be responsible for the design and ergonomics of the prosthesis socket. She will analyse data from 3D scans, create a 3D model of the socket and in collaboration with Michal Piasecki she will prepare a base for parametric model development. 

Name
WE DESIGN FOR PHYSICAL CULTURE
Website
http://wedesignforphysicalculture.com/
Postal address
Poland

FabLab Malaga

A digital fabrication laboratory specialising in 3D printing. Its primary goal is to undertake important projects for the local community. Fab Lab has a diverse set of 3D printers, which are an ideal fit for the development of the “myhand” socket. 

Fab Lab Malaga is well established in its local community and is a part of worldwide network of fab labs, which features over 1,000 digital manufacturing centres. Collaboration with Fab Lab Malaga enables other parties involved to tap into a wide network of experts. 

Name
FabLab Malaga
Postal address
Spain