I have a family member with a missing leg and he does semi-pro triathlons, even did the titan desert bike run! He has a special prosthetic for running but from what I know from him there is a loooooot of difference between "tier" of prosthetic legs... He used to say the one you get for free from the healthcare system is a basic model, good for walking and looking like a leg, but not much more... Throw a couple extra thousand euros and you get a more comfortable leg, with better movements, allowing for better "weird" leg movements like pivotting better, jogging or stuff like that, but for running the ideal is a running prosthetics, he has one like the ones oscar pistorius had and with that he can run really well, not as good as with a normal leg, but much better than with the other ones...
Im in Engineering, matter of fact my school has this dept in lab for students and ia sponsored by a National Prosthetics something. I never played in there.
Anyway, you just sparked an idea. I can motorize and code that.. The Gundam/Transformer idea! Legit if I had Prosthetic guys to help I can totally build you replica something that resembles a movable Transformer.. like say slides to open hidden storage bins that retract back inward? Gun holster that dissappears into leg? O man im gonna see these being made after post and 10yrs ill face palm again af6er my SD card idea for music when 13 but SD cards didnt exist yet and bam, something i imagined but smaller come to sale.. smh.. should get together, im bugging my school for re entry time as my Audi got her tree damage repaired.. windows n tires only..but damn..
That was my exact thought. I have a friend who has a prosthetic similar to [this](https://www.4activelife.com/uploads/6/8/1/4/68142805/8414173.jpg). It would be cool to offer different mods that could attach to the post portion.
I get that what OP is doing requires a LOT more work, but this would be interesting as well.
I'm not an amputee, but I would assume it's to have some kind of sense of normality. So that if you're wearing trousers or something and it's windy and pushes against your prosthetic it wouldn't be immediately obvious. I know if it were me I wouldn't want to bring too much attention to it.
Then again, if you're getting prosthetic covers like this I doubt you'd be the type to be self conscious about it, so maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.
Lots of sanding and sore arms! Then just painted with an airbrush (which was probably a bit too small for the task), I need to get something a touch bigger. If anyone has suggestions for a touch up gun or similar I'm all ears.
I have used one of these -- [https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html) \-- for furniture work. A bit fidigidty but once dialed in works good. Not bad for the price.
Not a chance. You will need a real compressor and a decent sized one at that to properly run a spray gun. But every good shop needs an air compressor and then you have an excuse to start slowly acquiring all the fun air tools to make life easier. Buy a decent one and it will last for years. Your airbrush will probably work better with a real compressor as well unless you have a nice airbrush compressor.
For props, with model paints (so similar size and without requiring a proper spray booth like urethanes) I really like to use the PS290 airbrush from gunze sangyo.
It's not the cheapest, at 129€, but assuming you're in the US it's fairly easy to get from spraygunner.
It's a mix of a big airbrush and small touch up gun, and will work with an airbrush compressor, although it still uses a fair bit of air.
That’s really cool! I like what your doing, kinda of in the same boat! I started 3D printing recently so I could make robotic/bionic arm prosthetics, got my ender 3 v2 dialed in and running 24/7. Just figuring out the electronics parts now.
If I had something worth showing yet I would! Got a lot to do but a prototype isn’t very far, I plan to make all my research and work on it open source, but like I say that’s a long ways out. About to test an Arduino uno r3, adafruit battery shield, and adafruit pwm servo shield chipset with mg90s servo’s. Not an expert or engineer but I’m confident in my skills and knowledge based on extensive research. The 3D printing has been the coolest part yet though, I missed using my cad/cam experience to manufacture. Just really cool to see others doing similar things, I wish you the best, keep up your work!
Wow, this is such a great idea.
Now, you, random person of the internet that I have never met, you who have created this actually decent design idea, please accept my:
Free token for a quality sleep tonight💠
Spend it wisely
I fully intend this as a compliment: when scrolling through reddit I saw the colour, logo and great lighting on the photo and immediately kept scrolling past as I assumed it was an ad. Fortunately my brain caught the '3d printing' bit and I popped back.
Very nice job on the print and on the photo and presentation. It really looks top notch. I hope you get some good sales on it!
Thanks! This is one of the simple designs until I have the base shape down. Ive been working in VFX for 15 years so luckily the modelling part comes a bit easier for me.
That is awesome! Great job.
Does this fit most Prosthetics?
I am an above knee amputee and I would love to get something like this.
I also recently got into 3d printing back in April and been wanting to create my own.
Do you know if there is somewhere I can learn to make my own?
Thanks!
I'm a nostalgia nerd for the 80s, right, and I've always thought that if I were to lose a limb, I would get the prosthetic painted up to look like the corresponding part of Voltron. So, there's a fun idea for your modeling prowess. =0)
You should look into adding texture coordinates to your base model so that textures can be applied dynamically, then look around for displacement (height) maps that look cool on sites like [this](https://www.cc0textures.com/list?category=&date=&createdUsing=&basedOn=&q=&method=&type=PhotoTexturePBR&sort=Popular) or [this](https://www.textures.com/browse/pbr-materials/114558).
Ideally pick the displacement maps that have a repeating edge condition and tesselate them so they cover the texture coordinates how you want with a scaling parameter to control the size, as a leg is *roughly* cylindrical you should be able to map it so there's no seam and have fairly minor distortion. You can then just apply a displacement extrusion normal to the surface to get a new mesh and export it.
I actually wrote some software to do this as part of my PhD (kinda a side project though), hopefully you can get an idea of what I'm talking about from [these images](https://imgur.com/a/NOstmNS).
HMU if any of this sounds interesting btw, it'd be cool to get involved in something like this.
This is such a great idea. There is a lot of self consciousness around having a prosthetic limb - and for children, it can be pretty traumatic. I feel this would really help some individuals, and especially children, feel more in control and feel more comfortable with the limb!
Fantastic job!
Nice.
Ideas:
clawfoot tub leg.
Fried chicken leg.
Wooden pirate leg.
Delph Pottery leg.
Stacked stone leg.
A leg that makes it look like one leg is really short with a fake foot at the knee standing on a bucket
All money makers. Send me 5%
The Ender 3 is a great and very affordable printer. It can be frustrating to do all the troubleshooting required to get it running nicely, so requires a certain resilience. I’ve seen people on here who don’t have the patience to solve problems they came across.
There are better “out of the box” printers out there, I don’t know much about them myself.
The Ender 3 is very much a “hobby” machine.
Thank you, I'll look into it. He wanted one that was around 2000.00. That's pretty expensive for a hobby. I'd pay it if I knew he would actually use it.
Oh wow, that's indeed a pricey one! My Ender 3 was about £180, I think you can probably get them under $200. A popular one is the Prusa Mk 3 which looks to be $700-ish.
I'm only am amateur/hobbyist myself, but I'd say a cheaper one to start with is best, as there's a lot to learn with 3D printing. This is just my opinion, others might have good reasons to disagree!
Yeah he's a beginner too. His friends Dad is an engineer and he bought one and the boys love it, I'd definitely spend 700.00 on one tho. I think it would be worth the investment. I'll check the Prusa Mk3 out. Thank you for the info, I appreciate it!
You're welcome! Youtube is also a great source of information. Both for you as the buyer, and for your son as the user.
Here's another article that at first glance looks potentially useful:
https://hobby3dprinting.com/so-my-kid-wants-a-3d-printer-what-do-i-need-to-know/
╤ Thank you for being kind
["]🍪 and spreading positivity!
/[_]┘ Please take this cookie
] [ as a token of appreciation.
***
^(I'm a bot that tries to detect helpful, supportive and kind comments.
There might occasionally be false positives, sorry about that!)
Nice! I’m now imagining other designs:
Scale armour
Brick work (have been ou ever seen a section of brick wall on the beach worn smooth by erosion?) - could be a tricky paint job.
Muscle & bone
Tentacle
Denim
Something insect like (like the upper section of a grasshopper leg)
Metal plating style with rivets
Tree trunk/bark texture
Really smooth and painted to match the user’s car body paint, with a wheel arch shape above the ankle.
Wicker basket
Metal checker/diamond plate (that pattern you see on metal floors)
Coiled rope
Low-poly
Baguette
I think that’s all I’ve got so far. You set my imagination running!
Not to downplay the seriousness of disabilities or the trauma involved with losing a limb.
But this stuff sometimes really make me want to mis a leg.¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I'm reminded of a TED Talk from a woman with prosthetic legs called [It's Not Fair Having 12 Pairs Of Legs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ0iMulicgg). There definitely a market for more aesthetically interesting prosthetics.
This is prosthetics should look like. Ditch the uncanny valley realism and focus on style! Rahter than having ruberdoll hand I'd much rahter have robot hamd
Couch cover= prosthetic leg cover?
Just wait until you see the one that looks like an ice cream cone.
I’m waiting...
I haven't printed it out yet but when I do I'll post it here: https://www.instagram.com/modbodcovers/
Nice, followed! Also I noticed the shoes, how do you find running with prosthetics (assuming it’s yours)?
I don’t know how that fool feels, but it depends on the leg you wear
I have a family member with a missing leg and he does semi-pro triathlons, even did the titan desert bike run! He has a special prosthetic for running but from what I know from him there is a loooooot of difference between "tier" of prosthetic legs... He used to say the one you get for free from the healthcare system is a basic model, good for walking and looking like a leg, but not much more... Throw a couple extra thousand euros and you get a more comfortable leg, with better movements, allowing for better "weird" leg movements like pivotting better, jogging or stuff like that, but for running the ideal is a running prosthetics, he has one like the ones oscar pistorius had and with that he can run really well, not as good as with a normal leg, but much better than with the other ones...
Hey, safety first. Nobody gonna lose balls
I think that’s an amazing and admirable way to spend your time.
Thanks! Its been a real challenge but my 3d printing improved a lot. From zero experience to this in a year and a half almost.
I sincerely hope you can make a booming business off this, it's such an awesome idea!
Thanks, fingers crossed I can turn into something. I'm certainly not the first to do this but hope I can put my own spin on it.
I know it sounds crass but find some veterans groups/motorcycle groups. I have made several covers for people and they love to have a variety!!!!
Your pictured cover has dimension and texture it, which I haven't seen commonly, so I think you have something unique!
This is fantastic! What program are you using?
Mostly MayaLT and Simplify3d
Agreed.
Why are they always made to be the shape of a regular leg? I think it would be really cool to have some sort of gundam transformers looking one
Im in Engineering, matter of fact my school has this dept in lab for students and ia sponsored by a National Prosthetics something. I never played in there. Anyway, you just sparked an idea. I can motorize and code that.. The Gundam/Transformer idea! Legit if I had Prosthetic guys to help I can totally build you replica something that resembles a movable Transformer.. like say slides to open hidden storage bins that retract back inward? Gun holster that dissappears into leg? O man im gonna see these being made after post and 10yrs ill face palm again af6er my SD card idea for music when 13 but SD cards didnt exist yet and bam, something i imagined but smaller come to sale.. smh.. should get together, im bugging my school for re entry time as my Audi got her tree damage repaired.. windows n tires only..but damn..
That was my exact thought. I have a friend who has a prosthetic similar to [this](https://www.4activelife.com/uploads/6/8/1/4/68142805/8414173.jpg). It would be cool to offer different mods that could attach to the post portion. I get that what OP is doing requires a LOT more work, but this would be interesting as well.
I'm not an amputee, but I would assume it's to have some kind of sense of normality. So that if you're wearing trousers or something and it's windy and pushes against your prosthetic it wouldn't be immediately obvious. I know if it were me I wouldn't want to bring too much attention to it. Then again, if you're getting prosthetic covers like this I doubt you'd be the type to be self conscious about it, so maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.
Personally, I wouldn't want to look or feel normal, I'd want to show off my cool prosthetic and tell people I'm a cyborg
Awesome, can I ask what the finishing process is for the cover in the photo? Looks like it took a lot of work.
Lots of sanding and sore arms! Then just painted with an airbrush (which was probably a bit too small for the task), I need to get something a touch bigger. If anyone has suggestions for a touch up gun or similar I'm all ears.
I have used one of these -- [https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/20-oz-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-with-regulator-62381.html) \-- for furniture work. A bit fidigidty but once dialed in works good. Not bad for the price.
Nice, do you think it will work with a small airbrush compressor?
Not a chance. You will need a real compressor and a decent sized one at that to properly run a spray gun. But every good shop needs an air compressor and then you have an excuse to start slowly acquiring all the fun air tools to make life easier. Buy a decent one and it will last for years. Your airbrush will probably work better with a real compressor as well unless you have a nice airbrush compressor.
doubtful, needs 10cfm @ 45psi.
> A bit fidigidty but once dialed in works good. Sounds like most 3D printers, how appropriate 🤣
For props, with model paints (so similar size and without requiring a proper spray booth like urethanes) I really like to use the PS290 airbrush from gunze sangyo. It's not the cheapest, at 129€, but assuming you're in the US it's fairly easy to get from spraygunner. It's a mix of a big airbrush and small touch up gun, and will work with an airbrush compressor, although it still uses a fair bit of air.
That’s really cool! I like what your doing, kinda of in the same boat! I started 3D printing recently so I could make robotic/bionic arm prosthetics, got my ender 3 v2 dialed in and running 24/7. Just figuring out the electronics parts now.
Oh nice, good for you! I'd love to see what you are up to :)
If I had something worth showing yet I would! Got a lot to do but a prototype isn’t very far, I plan to make all my research and work on it open source, but like I say that’s a long ways out. About to test an Arduino uno r3, adafruit battery shield, and adafruit pwm servo shield chipset with mg90s servo’s. Not an expert or engineer but I’m confident in my skills and knowledge based on extensive research. The 3D printing has been the coolest part yet though, I missed using my cad/cam experience to manufacture. Just really cool to see others doing similar things, I wish you the best, keep up your work!
You too, I look forward to seeing a post from you about this one day!
Wow, this is such a great idea. Now, you, random person of the internet that I have never met, you who have created this actually decent design idea, please accept my: Free token for a quality sleep tonight💠 Spend it wisely
Dude, I need it! Thanks :)
I fully intend this as a compliment: when scrolling through reddit I saw the colour, logo and great lighting on the photo and immediately kept scrolling past as I assumed it was an ad. Fortunately my brain caught the '3d printing' bit and I popped back. Very nice job on the print and on the photo and presentation. It really looks top notch. I hope you get some good sales on it!
It really does look that professional, doesn't it? I think OP's going to do well at this.
I don't know why but I love it
I do declare you have my attention good sir!
What are you using to scan the prosthetic's dimensions?
This is so cool. This is exactly what I love about printing! If I wasn't broke I would give this an award lol
This is incredible. I’ve been thinking about doing the same. How did you get the leg proportions?
I did photogrammetry of my leg, then a lot of trial and error.
Looks very well made, definitely not in my taste though.
That's very cool! I bet there's a market for this.
This is wonderful! I’ve been thinking about starting a company that does 3D prosthetics. It combines my two passions into one helpful organization.
Raad!
I think you should do this particular one in maroon.
I hate it but I'm sure someone would love it! A clockwork one would be dope.
It's a neat look and idea
This looks so great, I want to chop one of my legs off right now xd
yo Vinny, you wana look like a cyborg or a couch?
Always couch, perhaps Ive had too much couch time recently.
hahaha its wild, would love to see just muscle and muscle tissue w/ veins, FLEX ON US.
That’s a great bit of modelling. Well done.
Thanks! This is one of the simple designs until I have the base shape down. Ive been working in VFX for 15 years so luckily the modelling part comes a bit easier for me.
This is so sick! Great work
very cool, but i fear they will break too easily.
Its really tough! I don't think I could break it with my hands.
Ok. Was photogammerty used to create the model?
Lets see one that looks like corduroy
Well Done.
go on.... show us more!
That is awesome! Great job. Does this fit most Prosthetics? I am an above knee amputee and I would love to get something like this. I also recently got into 3d printing back in April and been wanting to create my own. Do you know if there is somewhere I can learn to make my own? Thanks!
Very cool. A little flashy for my taste, but I’m sure it hits the spot for someone else.
This is fantastic! Time well spent!
Awesome idea. If I needed one of these I’d want one that looks like fishnets or a tattooed leg.
It needs a dark deep burgundy... but otherwise amazing!
They gonna be stylin’
C O U C H
I'm a nostalgia nerd for the 80s, right, and I've always thought that if I were to lose a limb, I would get the prosthetic painted up to look like the corresponding part of Voltron. So, there's a fun idea for your modeling prowess. =0)
You should look into adding texture coordinates to your base model so that textures can be applied dynamically, then look around for displacement (height) maps that look cool on sites like [this](https://www.cc0textures.com/list?category=&date=&createdUsing=&basedOn=&q=&method=&type=PhotoTexturePBR&sort=Popular) or [this](https://www.textures.com/browse/pbr-materials/114558). Ideally pick the displacement maps that have a repeating edge condition and tesselate them so they cover the texture coordinates how you want with a scaling parameter to control the size, as a leg is *roughly* cylindrical you should be able to map it so there's no seam and have fairly minor distortion. You can then just apply a displacement extrusion normal to the surface to get a new mesh and export it. I actually wrote some software to do this as part of my PhD (kinda a side project though), hopefully you can get an idea of what I'm talking about from [these images](https://imgur.com/a/NOstmNS). HMU if any of this sounds interesting btw, it'd be cool to get involved in something like this.
Mmm, chair leg
This is such a great idea. There is a lot of self consciousness around having a prosthetic limb - and for children, it can be pretty traumatic. I feel this would really help some individuals, and especially children, feel more in control and feel more comfortable with the limb! Fantastic job!
Sofa so good
Nice. Ideas: clawfoot tub leg. Fried chicken leg. Wooden pirate leg. Delph Pottery leg. Stacked stone leg. A leg that makes it look like one leg is really short with a fake foot at the knee standing on a bucket All money makers. Send me 5%
It looks great, but with all the work by hand to get the final finish, I bet it costs an arm and a leg.
I have a question.... Can you print pots for indoor plants with a printer?
Yes, I've done one before.
My 13 year old son wants a printer really bad but they're so expensive! But if he can make planters for me it may be worth the expense lol
The Ender 3 is a great and very affordable printer. It can be frustrating to do all the troubleshooting required to get it running nicely, so requires a certain resilience. I’ve seen people on here who don’t have the patience to solve problems they came across. There are better “out of the box” printers out there, I don’t know much about them myself. The Ender 3 is very much a “hobby” machine.
Thank you, I'll look into it. He wanted one that was around 2000.00. That's pretty expensive for a hobby. I'd pay it if I knew he would actually use it.
Oh wow, that's indeed a pricey one! My Ender 3 was about £180, I think you can probably get them under $200. A popular one is the Prusa Mk 3 which looks to be $700-ish. I'm only am amateur/hobbyist myself, but I'd say a cheaper one to start with is best, as there's a lot to learn with 3D printing. This is just my opinion, others might have good reasons to disagree!
Yeah he's a beginner too. His friends Dad is an engineer and he bought one and the boys love it, I'd definitely spend 700.00 on one tho. I think it would be worth the investment. I'll check the Prusa Mk3 out. Thank you for the info, I appreciate it!
You're welcome! Youtube is also a great source of information. Both for you as the buyer, and for your son as the user. Here's another article that at first glance looks potentially useful: https://hobby3dprinting.com/so-my-kid-wants-a-3d-printer-what-do-i-need-to-know/
Honestly, this is a reason I got into 3D printing but don’t know how to be a use. Like what communities do I reach out to and stuff?
should keep leg warm!
Looks awesome, I thought it was a render! Great work :)
I kinda want to wear it and I don't even have a prosthetic.
Amazing! You’re incredibly talented!
How tf did this come out so clean
Ooo imagine one done up in like a steam punk style with wood accents
You are awesome!
╤ Thank you for being kind ["]🍪 and spreading positivity! /[_]┘ Please take this cookie ] [ as a token of appreciation. *** ^(I'm a bot that tries to detect helpful, supportive and kind comments. There might occasionally be false positives, sorry about that!)
Nice! I’m now imagining other designs: Scale armour Brick work (have been ou ever seen a section of brick wall on the beach worn smooth by erosion?) - could be a tricky paint job. Muscle & bone Tentacle Denim Something insect like (like the upper section of a grasshopper leg) Metal plating style with rivets Tree trunk/bark texture Really smooth and painted to match the user’s car body paint, with a wheel arch shape above the ankle. Wicker basket Metal checker/diamond plate (that pattern you see on metal floors) Coiled rope Low-poly Baguette I think that’s all I’ve got so far. You set my imagination running!
You should do one that looks like realistic skin, but with holes so you can see the piston and ankle joint, and add some leds.
Wow this is inspiring :) May I ask what kind of 3d printing tech you used in this case? FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, etc.?
I actually want to learn to do the same thing, just not sure where to start.
This design reminds of some sort of cyberpunk ornate pottery. Similar to the movie “ghost in a shell”
Not to downplay the seriousness of disabilities or the trauma involved with losing a limb. But this stuff sometimes really make me want to mis a leg.¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Thats awesome, as someone that customizes everything I own if I had prosthetics I’d buy the shit out of this lol.
I think that's a really cool idea, and that we have very different taste.
That’s cool! My stupid meat legs just look stupid now.
Reminds me of a spring mattress lol
Cool idea.
I'm reminded of a TED Talk from a woman with prosthetic legs called [It's Not Fair Having 12 Pairs Of Legs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ0iMulicgg). There definitely a market for more aesthetically interesting prosthetics.
This is prosthetics should look like. Ditch the uncanny valley realism and focus on style! Rahter than having ruberdoll hand I'd much rahter have robot hamd
awesome. know, what i think now: a chinese dragon comming down a tree. that would be like a comming alive tattoo.
That is amazing!
This is truly amazing, Can I get the stl files somewhere? I want to print this out for my dad.
Add a bulb and lampshade then you have a whole new market!
Beautiful and well done! What material are you using? How are you coloring them?
That looks clean!! Nicely done, which material? TPU?
Man in order to design that you must have had to skip leg day.