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Discovery Mindblown Bionic Hand — 2023

We teamed up with the MerchSource Design team to create a captivating Bionic Hand. A challenging assembly demonstrates multiple mechanical principles and rewards young engineers with a charismatic and powerful extension of their own hand. A reversible thumb can be placed on the left or right for a natural play experience for either handedness. We worked carefully to design a toy within the limits of cost and manufacturability that was also feature-rich and assemblable for the target age range. We also did preliminary engineering with part breakup and design.

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We designed two types of systems for digit activation. Being an extension of the user’s own digits, the bionic digits are offset in position in front of the hand. For fingers, the user’s fingers still pull in-line with the bionic ones. So we could use a direct-pull ribbon cable approach. For the thumb, however, the user’s thumb doesn’t curl in the same plane of motion as needed for the bionic thumb. We also needed to be able to swap the thumb to either side and a cable-pull mechanism would be too complicated and lose too much power. For this we designed a hydraulic piston and line that can easily adapt to either thumb position and is ergonomically comfortable for the user. Using both cables and hydraulics, we simplified the assembly and part count vs an all-hydraulic approach.

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As a Discovery Mindblown toy, we focused especially on creating a product experience that would build enthusiasm and appreciation for STEM concepts. We intentionally scaled the assembly difficulty to be challenging but doable and rewarding for the target age group. Cool robo-futuristic inspired styling comes to life as each part is put together, building commitment to the project. The cable and hydraulic systems demonstrate different engineering solutions to similar problems. The assembly process illustrates the power that a sum of parts can have. The result is an enthralling toy that builds hand-eye coordination, has surprising grip strength, supports role-play, and gives the satisfaction of being hand-built.

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