三维机器人腿可作廉价假肢

These 3D-Printed Robotic Legs Could Serve As Cheaper Prosthetics

After losing four fingers on his right hand in an accident, carpenter Richard Van As and prop-maker Ivan Owen designed and built a cheap prosthetic replacement hand that would end up becoming a sort of poster child for the 3D printing industry. Now, Robohand's creators have designed a cheaper prosthetic leg as well.

First revealed on Facebook a couple of days ago, version one of the Roboleg is made from 3D-printed parts integrated with metal components given the amount of weight it will need to support. And instead of the strings and cable systems that allow the fingers on the Robohand to move, the Roboleg will rely on pneumatics.

The necessity for these more robust components will no doubt mean the Roboleg ends up being more expensive than the Robohand and other 3D-printed prosthetics. But when compared to other replacement legs already on the market, its creators are hoping the Roboleg will still end up being considerably cheaper so that it can be made available to those who can't afford existing alternatives. [Robohand via Cnet]