A Look At Open Bionics’ 3D-Printed Robotic Hands For Amputees

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Open Bionics, a startup out of the U.K. that makes bionic hands, figured out how to dramatically lower the cost of prosthetics using a combination of open-sourced 3D printing software and robotic sensors.

Nearly 2 million people live with the loss of a limb in the U.S., according to Amputee Coalition. The most common amputation is partial hand or arm loss.

But the problem is even more prevalent worldwide and in developing countries that don’t often have access to expensive prosthetics. Hospital-grade myoelectric hands and limbs can cost up to $100,000 in some cases.

Open Bionics can produce its robotic hands in a matter of days and for a few thousand dollars. These hands are just as functional as more expensive prosthetics, but with a lighter, custom-fitted design so they are comfortable for the wearer, too.

The startup is part of the current Techstars Disney Accelerator program. I met up with CEO Joel Gibbard to check out Open Bionics’ robotic arm technology. Check out our discussion in the video above.