Academy For Underprivileged Youth Leverages Ignition To Monitor 3D Bionic Prosthesis

Project Overview

Developed exclusively by students at Hebron IT Academy, who are youths from orphaned and underprivileged backgrounds, this project used a combination of Ignition and Arduino-based muscle sensors to train a 3D-printed hand prosthesis. This non-profit project aimed to address a critical gap faced by individuals who have lost limbs due to war or trauma: the long waiting period before receiving a permanent prosthesis. During this time, individuals are at risk of muscle atrophy and lack the opportunity to physically and psychologically prepare for using a bionic limb.

Challenges

From a technical standpoint, this project faced two main challenges:

• Establishing near real-time communication between Arduinos and Ignition.
• Allowing project access to DigitalOcean after deployment.

This project also faced more practical challenges:

• The 3D-printed prosthesis is low-cost, so it was important to ensure sufficient strength, comfort, and safety during regular use.
• Doctors and clinics may need to adjust their rehabilitation protocols to include this interim device, which requires awareness, training, and support.
• As a nonprofit effort, it can be difficult to maintain sustained funding and equitable distribution to those in need long-term.

Solution

Hebronsoft’s solution is a low-cost, accessible, 3D-printed training hand prosthesis, which enables users to stay active, strengthen muscles, and become familiar with prosthetic usage. This interim tool helps partially restore functionality and independence, making the transition to a permanent prosthesis more effective and less overwhelming.

Using Ignition’s visualization capabilities, the students developed a custom dashboard that tracks sensor activities. This live feedback allows users to see their recovery progress and understand how the prosthesis responds to their input. It creates an engaging and measurable environment critical for muscle development and psychological readiness.

Integrating Ignition with Arduino-based muscle sensors allows the dashboard to display near real-time muscle activation levels. This helps users understand how their inputs translate into movement and adapt their training accordingly.

Result

The project delivered a functional, low-cost, 3D-printed training prosthesis that allowed patients to begin physical and psychological adaptation to bionic limb use much earlier in their recovery process.

The student team behind this project felt a sense of empowerment and confidence as they gained hands-on experience in real-world innovation. Despite having no prior experience in biomedical engineering, prosthetics, or 3D modeling, these students conducted all research, design, and development independently.

From prototyping with 3D printing technologies to exploring hardware-software integration with platforms like Arduino and Ignition, they overcame technical barriers through determination, collaboration, and guided mentorship. The outcome is not only a functioning prosthetic prototype but also a powerful example of how inclusive education can fuel world-changing innovation.

Project Team

This entire project was developed exclusively by students of Hebron IT Academy, who come from orphaned and underprivileged backgrounds.

Start Date: January 2024

Deploy Date: September 2024