Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic by Xuerong Cai

Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic by Xuerong Cai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award na Bakal in Disenyo ng Sibernetika, Prosthesis at Implant Competition Category.

BakalSibernetika· 2023

Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic

by Xuerong Cai

Client: Meta Mecha

A' Design Award na Bakal 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 Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic

Ang Meta Mecha ay isang panloob na takip ng prosthetic socket na gawa mula sa mekanikal na metamaterials. Ang takip ay nililikha mula sa 3D scan ng natitirang bahagi ng paa o kamay at mula sa datos ng presyon na nakalap habang naglalakad, kaya ang mekanikal na ibabaw ay sumusunod sa personalisadong medikal na pangangailangan. Ang Meta Mecha ay 3D printed gamit ang elastic TPU sa mga industrial na printer. Ang isang materyal na sensitibo sa presyon ay nagbabago ng kulay kapag lumampas ang presyon sa limitasyon ng tolerансya, na nagpapakita sa user na kailangan nang palitan ang takip. Ang pagpapalit ay simple at makatipid, at sinusuportahan nito ang unti-unting pagbabago ng hugis ng natitirang bahagi ng paa o kamay.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award na Bakal

Ang Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic ay nagwagi ng A' Design Award na Bakal, isang prestihiyosong pagkilalang iginagawad sa mga mahuhusay na disenyong tumutugon sa mga propesyonal at pang-industriyang kinakailangang inaasahan sa mga mahusay na pagkakadisenyong likha. Ang mga nagwagi ng Bakal ay nagpapakita ng dakilang husay, mataas na espesyalisasyon, dalubhasang pag-unawa at kakayahang malikhain ng kanilang mga lumikha. Inaasahang ang Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic ay isang lubos na pinahahalagahan, hinahangaan at minamahal na likhang praktikal at makabago. Ang disenyong ito na nagwagi ng A' Design Award na Bakal ay nagsasama ng pinakamahuhusay na kasanayan ng industriya at may mahuhusay na katangiang teknikal na may kasamang kaalaman at talento. Ang Meta Mecha Panloob na Takip ng Prosthetic ay iginagalang dahil sa kaingatan nito at idinisenyo upang maghatid ng mga pagpapabuti sa kalidad ng buhay na tumutulong gawing mas mabuting lugar ang mundo.

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