UKZN’s Touch Hand Garners Industry Support

UKZN’s Touch Hand Garners Industry Support

An assistive technology project pioneered by UKZN in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) that is developing the “Touch Hand” mechanised prosthetic hand is being sponsored by RS South Africa, a leading company providing industrial product and service solutions.

The tools and components provided by RS South Africa will enable the Touch Hand team to train more young South African engineers and technologists and refine the design of the advanced low-cost prosthetic that will be made available to the public and affordable for low-income households.

RS South Africa is supporting the joint research initiative as part of their environmental, social, and governance action plan that champions education and innovation through skills development and encourages innovative solutions to improve lives.

In addition to tools and components, the company will also contribute its Super Skills masterclass workshops, which will teach young engineers important skills including communication skills, goal setting, presentation skills, how to deal with conflict, and time management. This support promotes collaboration between universities which will drive progress and pool resources in the continued development of innovative prosthetic technology for the benefit of society.

‘We are delighted to support the Touch Hand project team,’ said Mr Brian Andrew, Managing Director of RS South Africa. ‘We believe that engineering and technology can make a positive impact on the world, and we are committed to supporting young engineers and technologists in South Africa to achieve their full potential.’

UKZN’s Touch Hand prototype was first developed in 2013 as part of the master’s research of Mr Drew van der Riet together with his supervisor Professor Riaan Stopforth, who leads the SMART Lab at the University and is the Touch Hand team leader. The initial robotic prosthetic hand design incorporated a unique sensory feedback system that provided an amputee with a restored sense of touch, using upper-limb electromyography prosthetics.

The design has been refined and in 2020, it was entered in the global, multi-disciplinary Cybathlon, the only participant from Africa in the multi-sport event that saw around 60 teams from 20 countries compete to complete everyday tasks using powered prosthetic limbs and assistive technology.

Cybathlon, a non-profit project founded by Switzerland’s public research university ETH Zürich, aims to advance research in assistive technology and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in everyday life.

The Touch Hand team will participate in the Cybathlon event in 2024 from South Africa, where there will be a hub for participants from around the continent to take part.

Research and development have continued unabated on the Touch Hand, headed by Stopforth and Dr Daniel Kirkman at UKZN, with project manager Mr Clive Hands from NMU’s Advanced Engineering Design Group. The team is working on the Touch Hand 5.0, optimising the design of the Touch Hand 4.0 that competed in 2020 based on the lessons learnt through the design’s performance and functionality in the Cybathlon event, where it was evaluated against leading prosthetics and prototypes from around the world.

Using an additive manufacturing process, essentially industrial 3D printing, the team is developing the customisability of the prosthetic hand and creating a modular, mechanical design that is simple, lightweight, cost-effective, and manageable in size to enable its amputee pilot to comfortably carry out simple tasks. They are also focusing on ensuring that the hand’s socket, worn by the amputee, is comfortable, breathable, and not irritable to the skin.

‘The collaboration with RS has only been achieved because of the willingness to collaborate with other universities, and we are so grateful for this collaboration, and for the support and sponsorship of the lab,’ said Stopforth. ‘With these items, we are able to pursue higher goals and research avenues than what we have pursued thus far and to create interest and excitement among the students.’

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Supplied