Home-built mechanical finger prosthetic

[OBudah]

This is phenomenal in every way, and your desire to share it with the world just proves what an incredible person you are.

You should put this on Instructables, you're guaranteed to get a huge response, spread the word even more, and you could probably win some contests [if you so chose].

[Knickertwist]

You make me wish I had gobs of money to throw at you to finance your projects and travel expenses You are the bees knees, sir!

[Clarachk]

This is SO worthy of sharing :O) It makes my heart so happy to hear the story behind your awesome project. It fills my soul with glee to learn that you are sharing it so freely. What an amazing gift!!! I will be sharing this with my Book of Face peeps. They will appreciate this and enjoy it immensely.

I now would like some of this Thermoplastic to play with! Your mechanical explanation is really cool. How incredibly thoughtful of you to share such a thing across 10,000 miles and with total strangers for no monetary gain. This is what being human is all about. Art, compassion and connection. I am excited to check out the progress and thank you for the linky-link.

[Roxy1976]

What an incredible piece of engineering and a heart - warming gesture! I heart you!

 

[brookem]

Hey, I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for putting this into the public domain. I really hope this approach helps you to create the best possible prosthesis for your friend and that it can help others in the future. My family has had some involvement with the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation and I have had firsthand experience of the importance of affordable prosthetic devices- I've met people for whom their prosthesis is the only reason they can work and therefore eat/provide for their families. With any luck your design could have a similar impact in people's lives, and that's awesome 

[enola]

I see that you said you were not going to patent this idea/invention/prosthetic.  I think that it would be a good idea to patent it, only so that the information does remain free and no one else can take your ideas and then patent them away from you.

[ChainCrafts]

Thank you, everyone, for all the kind words and encouragement! I'll be certain to share updates on here after Rich and I work together in person in November.

This community is wonderful and I greatly appreciate it. I'm pretty silent on here, more of one of the "watchers", but I love browsing through all the incredible projects that the creative folks on here produce. I can't list the number of times I've come to enjoy and be inspired by the artwork of the craftster community!

So, again, THANK YOU!!!

I see that you said you were not going to patent this idea/invention/prosthetic.  I think that it would be a good idea to patent it, only so that the information does remain free and no one else can take your ideas and then patent them away from you.

I appreciate your excellent point and concern. What Richard and I have done to protect the designs from that very real possibility is to release the designs publicly so that they are protected under an IP legal concept known as "Prior Art" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_art

By making the designs available publicly no entity, Richard and I included, can claim exclusive rights to the concept

[white_lilyblossom]

That is amazing. To be able to make something like that... It's above art, it's truly a gift. And how wonderful are you, just giving away this knowledge for other people's benefit when you've worked so hard on it.

[k8kre8s]

it warms my heart to see such crafty altruism. there are too many brilliant ideas locked up from view that could serve so many people, and truly change the world, so i am glad you have chosen to keep the creativity flowing. i hope the generosity of spirit that you two have shared returns to you ten-fold.

[CDEeeek]

Saw this article and wonder if this design would help this guy? I don't know how you all would team up, but it sounds like he is a very optimistic person. He lost four fingers. There is a graphic photo of his hand now.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/us/idaho-finger-in-trout/index.html