Hybrid upper-limb prostheses: a manufacturing proposal based on market and production factors

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35381/r.k.v10i20.4753

Keywords:

Myoelectric prostheses, productive proposal, manufacturing, production, line, market factors, (UNESCO Thesaurus).

Abstract

The objective of the research is to design a productive proposal for hybrid prostheses for upper limbs, based on the analysis of productive and market factors for people with disabilities in Ecuador. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data on upper limb prostheses currently on the market. Demand was quantified using data from various sources within the Ministry of Health, and unmet demand was determined using the simple growth rate method. The production design, optimized with FlexSim software for plant layout, established an annual capacity of 215 units, covering 70% of the need. The economic-financial study confirms its viability: with an investment of $202,194.73, a sale price of $1,532 per unit, and profits of $60,696.51, the indicators are as follows. The project proves to be profitable (68.29%) with a return on investment in two years.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Baca Urbina, G. (2022). Evaluación de proyectos. McGraw-Hill. https://n9.cl/fwznp

Becerra, J., & Acosta, C. (2020). Estudio antropométrico en población colombiana para diseño de prótesis. Revista Colombiana de Biomecánica, 14(2), 45-56. https://n9.cl/2yddw

Buerke, A., Straatmann, T., Lin-Hi, N., & Müller, K. (2017). Consumer awareness and sustainability-focused value orientation as motivating factors of responsible consumer behavior. Review of Managerial Science, 11, 959-991. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-016-0211-2

Capsi-Morales, P., Piazza, C., Catalano, M. G., Grioli, G., Schiavon, L., Fiaschi, E., & Bicchi, A. (2021). Comparison between rigid and soft poly-articulated prosthetic hands in non-expert myo-electric users shows advantages of soft robotics. Scientific Reports, 11, 23952. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02562-y

Castro, M. C. F., Pinheiro, W. C., & Rigolin, G. (2022). A hybrid 3D printed hand prosthesis prototype based on sEMG and a fully embedded computer vision system. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 16, 751282. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2021.751282

de Souza Pereira, J., Sarkis Moor Santos Xavier, A., da Silva Monteiro, R., Vianna Cruz, V., & Alves Machado, W. C. (2024). 3D-printed orthoses and prostheses for people with physical disability in rehabilitation centers: a scoping review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25, Article 783. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-07875-3

Global Market Insights. (2023). 3D Printed Prosthetics Market to Surpass USD 3,280 Million by 2032. GlobeNewswire. https://n9.cl/2aukh

Gorski, F., Komorowska, O., Zawadzki, P., Kuczko, W., Żukowska, M., Łabudzki, R. & Pǎcurar, R. (2025). Automation of Design of Modular Upper Limb Prostheses. Facta Universitatis, Series: Mechanical Engineering. https://n9.cl/85n7r

Lira Briceño, P. (2021). Evaluación de proyectos de inversión: Guía teórica y práctica. Ediciones de la U. https://n9.cl/fkybk

Marinelli, A., Boccardo, N., Tessari, F., Di Domenico, D., Caserta, G., Canepa, M., ... & Semprini, M. (2023). Active upper limb prostheses: A review on current state and upcoming breakthroughs. Progress in Biomedical Engineering, 5(1), 012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1091/acac57

Mick, S., Marchand, C., de Montalivet, É., Richer, F., Legrand, M., Peudpièce, A., Fabre, L., Huchet, C., & Jarrassé, N. (2024). Smart ArM: a customizable and versatile robotic arm prosthesis platform for Cybathlon and research. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 21(1), 136. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01423-9

Morillo, M. T. C., García, C. G., Caballero, A. B., & Gómez, J. T. C. (2025, May). Evolución de las prótesis a través de la historia. In Anales de Ingeniería Mecánica, 1(24). https://n9.cl/t8w14t

Răduică, F. F., & Simion, I. (2024). Development of a Low-Cost 3D-Printed Upper Limb Prosthetic Device with Hybrid Actuation for Partial Hand Amputees. Applied Sciences, 14(19), 8929. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198929

Salazar, M., Portero, P., Zambrano, M., & Rosero, R. (2025). Review of robotic prostheses manufactured with 3D printing: Advances, challenges, and future perspectives. Applied Sciences, 15(3), 1350. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031350

Savage, S., Flores-Saviaga, C., Rodney, R., Savage, L., Schull, J., & Mankoff, J. (2022). The global care ecosystems of 3D printed assistive devices. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 15(4), 1-29. https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3537676

Schwartz, D. A., & Schofield, K. A. (2023). Utilization of 3D printed orthoses for musculoskeletal conditions of the upper extremity: A systematic review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 36(1), 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2021.10.005

Soriano Morales, G. F. (2024). Sistemas de producción flexibles basados en la industria 4.0 para la manufactura personalizada. Ibero-American Journal of Economics & Business Research, 4(2), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.56183/iberoecb.v4i2.31

Uribe, M., & Székely, M. (2020). Localización y tecnología industrial en América Latina y sus impactos en el medio ambiente. CEPAL. https://hdl.handle.net/11362/20652

van der Stelt, M., Grobusch, M. P., Koroma, A. R., Papenburg, M., Kebbie, I., Slump, C. H., ... & Brouwers, L. (2021). Pioneering low-cost 3D-printed transtibial prosthetics to serve a rural population in Sierra Leone–an observational cohort study. EClinicalMedicine, 35, 100874. https://n9.cl/ozdxy

Wan, J., Li, X., Dai, H.-N., Kusiak, A., Martínez-García, M., & Di, L. (2021). Artificial Intelligence-Driven Customized Manufacturing Factory: Key Technologies, Applications, and Challenges. arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.03383. https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.03383

Published

2025-07-01

How to Cite

Miño-Cascante, G. E., Santillán-Mariño , C. J., Casillas-Caza , A. D., & Saquisilli-Guaraca, S. M. (2025). Hybrid upper-limb prostheses: a manufacturing proposal based on market and production factors. Revista Arbitrada Interdisciplinaria Koinonía, 10(20), 311–329. https://doi.org/10.35381/r.k.v10i20.4753

Issue

Section

De Investigación