modular 3D printed prosthetic fin helps athletic amputees swim again

"Essesi Design Studio designs Nimble, a concept have lost. It uses a modular 3D printed prosthetic fin that can help athletic amputees swim again. An attachable technology, the assistive object replaces the foot and lower leg that userscarbon fiber for the shell, and inside this main body sits a lattice structure made of rubber material. This part bends during movement, so in this case, when the swimmer kicks, the lattice structure flexes, creating thrust that moves them forward through water."

"The design studio shapes the outer shell from carbon fiber to make the modular 3D printed prosthetic fin lightweight and robust. They then print the internal lattice component from rubber, and a plastic section connects these two parts and attaches the overall design to the user's limb. The geometric structure within the piece returns to its original shape during swimming and extreme movements, thanks to the use of rubber."

"It is time to swim, then. When the swimmer kicks downward, the lattice compresses and stores energy, and when they complete the kick, it snaps back to how it was before. This snap creates the thrust force, which is the same compression action that distributes forces across the lattice structure instead of concentrating them at the attachment point on the user's limb."

Nimble is a modular 3D-printed prosthetic fin designed to help athletic amputees swim. A carbon-fiber outer shell provides lightweight strength while an internal rubber lattice flexes to generate thrust and absorb impact. A plastic connector joins shell and lattice and enables attachment to the residual limb. The lattice compresses during downward kicks, storing energy, then snaps back to release thrust and returns to shape during extreme movement. The modular system consists of five parts including rotatable top and bottom locks for securing the geometric piece and a twist lock for the fin. Force distribution across the lattice reduces load concentration at the attachment point, increasing comfort.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine