Design Refinement Discussion: Community Prosthetic Fitting Initiative

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Community Prosthetic Fitting Initiative — Design Refinement Coordination

Hello @pslade2 / TactHand contributors,

We are coordinating a community prosthetic fitting initiative in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville (Greater Boston) area and are looking to engage with the open-source prosthetic design community to refine and improve affordable myoelectric prosthetic designs.

Our Mission

We aim to provide accessible prosthetic fitting and alignment services to community members who need them, leveraging open-source designs like TactHand as a starting point. We believe collaboration with the engineers and designers behind these projects is essential to ensuring our work is safe, effective, and continuously improving.

Topics for Design Refinement Discussion

We'd like to open a dialogue around the following areas:

1. Fit & Socket Design — Solutions for comfortable, adjustable socket interfaces for varying residual limb geometries
2. Affordable Electronics Integration — Best practices for myoelectric sensor integration that balances cost with reliability
3. 3D-Printed Component Durability — Material and wall-thickness recommendations for functional, long-lasting parts
4. Community Fitting Workflow — Safety protocols, fitting session structure, and volunteer training frameworks
5. Modular Upgradability — Design features that allow users to upgrade components as their needs evolve
6. Open-Source Documentation — Improving assembly instructions, troubleshooting guides, and fitting reference documents

How We Can Contribute

• Collect real-world fitting data and ergonomic feedback
• Test and validate design modifications
• Share anonymized fitting outcomes with the community
• Help bridge clinical and engineering perspectives

We welcome any thoughts, suggestions, or areas where the community would benefit from coordination. This is a volunteer-driven effort, and every insight helps make prosthetic technology more accessible.

If you're interested in contributing or discussing further, please comment below or reach out!