Dan Harris, a junior studying mechanical engineering, created a functional hand that is believed to be as strong, if not stronger, than a natural hand. He believes to have created the next big prosthetic limb, discovering the next big thing in advanced prosthesis.
Dan Harris, a junior studying mechanical engineering, has created a fully functional — yet low cost — hand that can equal or surpass the natural limb. Harris believes he has created the future of robotic prosthetics that will soon remove the need to have complicated surgery that accompanies prosthetic arms of the day.
With the help of Robert Williams, a professor and assistant chair in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, and a select team, Harris crafted the robotic prosthetic that could change the industry as we know it. After future testing, Harris would like to explore business opportunities.
By the summer of 2013, Harris said he had lost interest in his classes and wanted to do something hands-on. Around the same time, an acquaintance of Harris’ was in an accident that required amputation, and the prosthetic limb that replaced the severed leg wasn’t enough for Harris’ acquaintance to do his or her job. The acquaintance was subsequently fired, and declined to be interviewed by The Post.
That’s when Harris got his inspiration to make a robotic hand.
A key characteristic of Harris’ design is his simplification of current robotic hands. For example, most robotic hands use a motor at each joint of the finger, at 14 joints per hand. That can make the prosthetic stronger, but it isn’t necessary, Harris said.
“Money can be a big issue when getting a prosthesis and that’s why it is my goal to create an affordable alternative to these expensive procedures,” he said.
Harris simplified the design by using one motor per finger, at five for the entire hand, which essentially puppets the hand with cables (Think Luke Skywalker’s hand at the end of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back). That gives the same amount of control, at about one-third of the cost, he said.
The hand comes with a headset with several sensors that read the electrical pulses the brain sends out along the scalp. The headset reads a variety of these waves at varying frequencies, and relates them to different forms of brain activity. The headset also has two custom-made values, labeled “Attention” and “Meditation,” which interpret brainwaves related to focus and stress, respectively. A control in the robotic hand reads these various signals, and curls the fingers in the hand. Limiting the hand to gripping with full motor control in the works to be implemented.
“Danny totally funded the first prototype so he made it as economical as possible,” Williams said. “Currently, with new college funding, he is able to buy better components from the thousands he received from Russ College (of Engineering).”
Prices for prosthetics can be daunting. Average prices for a prosthetic can cost anywhere from $5,000 — $100,000 depending on the complexity of the design. But to most people who are working on prosthetics, its not about money, Harris said.
Harris further explains the intricacies of how the hand works. Normally, the current brain-controlled designs of robotic arms require sensors implanted on the spinal cord, brain or undamaged nerves. This requires delicate surgery, while still risking the sensor shifting out of place, adverse reactions and general pain. The headset gives an alternative to have a similar form of control, while avoiding these issues.
“My grandma is a stroke survivor, so something like this could definitely help her adjust to daily life,” said Seth Klepper, a junior studying business. “Anything that can help her regain control is certainly magical.”
Taking the robotic hand public would be a dream come true for Harris.
“I’ve always been interested in robotics for as long as I can remember,” he said. “There never was a time when I didn’t want to make robots for a living. Making a thought-controlled prosthesis allows me to work on robotics while giving the opportunity to make something that can someday change someone’s life.
“I don’t think an engineer could ask for more.”
