Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik by Xuerong Cai

Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik by Xuerong Cai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award Basi in Sibernetika Competition Category.

BasiSibernetika· 2023

Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik

by Xuerong Cai

Client: Meta Mecha

A' Design Award Basi Winner in Sibernetika Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik

Teks Buku: Meta Mecha marupokan liner soket prostetik nan dibuek dari metamaterial mekanik. Liner ko dihasilkan dari hasil scan 3D anggota tubuah nan tasisa sarato data tekanan nan dikumpuakan salamo bajalan, sahinggo permukaan mekanik nyo sasuai jo kabutuahan medis nan personal. Meta Mecha dicetak 3D memakai bahan TPU nan elastis, jo printer industri. Ado bahan sensitif tekanan nan bausah warna apobilo tekanan lah malampaui batehan toleransi, sabagai tando bagi pangguno baraso liner paralu diganti. Panggantian nyo mudah sarato ekonomis, sarato mandukuang parubahan bantuak anggota tubuah nan tasisa nan tajadi sacaro baransua-ansua.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Basi

Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik adolah pamenang A' Design Award Basi, sabuah pangakuan nan bapresti nan dibarikan ka rancangan nan elok nan mamanuhi kaparluan profesional jo industri nan dipaokan dari ciptaan nan dirancang jo elok. Pamenang Basi mamparlihatkan kamahiran nan gadang, spesialisasi nan tinggi, pamahaman pakar jo kapasitas kreatif panciptanyo. Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik dipaokan manjadi ciptaan nan sangaik dihormati, dikagumi jo disayangi, nan praktis jo inovatif. Rancangan nan manang Basi iko mamasukkan praktik tabaik industri jo punyo ciri teknis nan cakap nan bapautan jo ilimu jo bakaik. Meta Mecha Fungsi Utamo: Liner Prostetik dihormati karano katalitiannyo jo dirancang untuak maningkekkan kualitas hiduik jo mambantu manjadikan dunia tampek nan labiah elok.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: With 3D printable mechanical metamaterials as the prosthetic liner, Meta Mecha makes it possible to customize mechanical surfaces for different amputees according to personalized medical requirements.
The pressure sensitive color-changing material provides visualization of the unsuitability and draws attention.
The prosthetic liner can be replaced to support the deformation process of residual limb. The user can update their mechanical surface inside the prosthetic in a simple and economical way.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 136mm*Depth 139mm*Height 175mm
(The dimensions of prosthetic liner should differ from user to user, above is an example of our case)
Tags: Prosthetic socket liner, Customized design, 3D print, Computational design
Production Technology: The mechanical metamaterial prosthetic liner is 3D printed with industrial quality 3D printers and elastic TPU. It is impossible to manufacture the complex 3D shape without additive manufacturing technology.
3D scanning and pressure sensor equipment are used before the design process to acquire the shape and mechanical requirements of amputees.
Generative design approach is used to generate design with customized requirements. In our prototype, we use Grasshopper to generate our design.
Design Challenge: It is a challenge for us to understand the logic and process of editing mechanical metamaterial. We have referred to many papers and interviewed a metamaterial specialist in our university and finally managed to arrange the structure unit on a prosthetic liner by using Grasshopper and plugins. Another challenge emerges when we try to prototype the product with 3D printing. It took us a while to find an industrial 3D printing laboratory that can use TPU to print the complex structure of metamaterial.
Research: We had looked through papers on mechanical metamaterials, medical requirements on prosthetic and computational design to understand how to apply metamaterials in the prosthesis field. We then had conversations with a metamaterial specialist to verify our idea. We also printed out ten little blocks with metamaterial structure to experiment on different mechanical properties.
Inspiration: The future trend of computational design draws our attention to programmable matter and metamaterial. We are surprised to find its potential to empower design with material science and motivated to reconsider objects in microscopic logic.
With generative design and simulation tools, we propose application of metamaterial in the prosthetic field, offering both customized and medically compliant service.
Project Duration: The project started in October 2021 in Shanghai, the first prototype was exhibited in D&I Shanghai in December 2021. An educational exhibition based on the project was shown in Shanghai Dyson Ideation Lab from February.
Operation Flow: Users first get residual limb 3D scanning and walk in a common socket to collect his pressure distribution data. A 3D model of metamaterial prosthetic liner is generated based on the data collected and medical requirements. After the prosthetic liner is 3D printed, it will be assembled with other parts of the prosthesis and delivered to the user. The prosthetic liner adjusts the best pressure level for the user and warns the user when pressure exceeds tolerance limits by color change. With the visual cue, the user can understand it's time to replace the liner to fit his residual limb deformation.
Team Members: Longyu Gong
Ruikun Pan
Xuerong Cai
Yanyun Wu
Image Credits: Images: Xuerong Cai, Ruikun Pan, Yanyun Wu, Longyu Gong