Upper extremity prostheses are a scarce necessity in less developed countries due to the lack of medical facilities, economic resources, and prevalent warfare. Prostheses have become a growing need as fifty-thousand amputations occur annually, with the current market being focused primarily on lower extremities. Leg prostheses have received much more attention and success than their upper extremity counterparts, due to their lower complexity that also yields lower cost. Prosthetic legs only need to fulfill basic motions such as walking and running, as opposed to the more complicated hands that encompass 22 degrees of motion. In less developed countries with few medical facilities, amputees need to travel long distances to find treatment. The objective is to design an affordable and easily assembled body-powered, below-elbow prosthetic device for adults that provides basic arm function and can be widely distributed in developing countries. Therefore, cost, availability, functionality, and simplicity are the primary considerations of the design.

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