Final: Swiss Army Hand

Final: Swiss Army Hand

John Caruso

The final model of the Swiss Army hand is a prosthetic for the physically impaired that is meant to help the user store and use tools. The hand comes equipped with a screwdriver and a wrench that are fixed onto a set of bars that are rotated by two wheels. The initial idea was to have a different tool for each finger however, we soon realized that in order for the extending and retracting mechanism to work correctly, the maximum number of tools was 2 tools. Once our group decided on which tools to use, we designed around them and figured out what other mechanics the hand had to have in order to work correctly. The inspiration for this came from a swiss army knife and from the superhero Wolverine. The multiple tool idea came from the concept of a swiss army knife, and the retractable tool feature was inspired by looking at the claws of the superhero Wolverine. The two tools are fixed onto two acrylic bars that attach to two rotating wheels. When the user bends their wrist, the fingers close and the two tools push out and extend past the fingers. When the user returns to the natural position the tools retract back in.