Exoskeletons have been in the making since the 1960s, ranging from full-body wearable suits to exoskeletons for an appendage. They function as an addition to the body, strengthening or enhancing human mobility and abilities.
Some exoskeletons are entirely passive, meaning that they help distribute the weight from, for example, the arms and shoulders, to avoid excessive strain. These are useful in areas where worker fatigue can be reduced, such as the automotive industry. Some exoskeletons can be controlled via electronics and used for heavy-duty tasks like carrying and moving equipment, while others are designed for rehabilitation.
Exoskeletons can also be used for gaming and cosplay in addition to these functional applications made possible by 3D printing. With exoskeletons, 3D printing gives you a different edge, and it opens up a wide range of design and building possibilities. 3D printed exoskeleton parts are lightweight, customizable, and affordable, among other advantages.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most advanced 3D printed exoskeleton projects out there, with different levels of difficulty and a variety of uses. If you find a project you’d love to have – to help or for cosplay – but don’t have a 3D printer at hand, with Craftcloud you can have the parts of the exoskeleton project of your choice delivered to your doorstep, ready to be assembled.
ExoArm
ExoArm, as the name suggests, is an exoskeleton for the arm that was originally made to help the creator’s grandmother carry heavy items. The earliest iteration of the ExoArm was made using wood, aluminum, and electronics. As the project progressed over the years, the creator considered repurposing it as a development kit, and the new goal has become to help anyone who can’t afford similar costly products but who needs such an aid.
Using 3D printing to fabricate the components makes the arm highly customizable, lightweight, modular, and cost-effective. All you need to build the ExoArm at home are 3D printed parts, electronics, and basic programming skills. It’s an excellent project for those who want to tinker in robotics and work on different skills.
- Who designed it: Kristjan Berce
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Where to find it: Hackaday, GitHub
3X0
3X0 is a full-body exoskeleton that will assist your movement or augment your functions. The project is currently at a conceptual level with constant development. With photogrammetry, the maker of the project created a 3D mesh of his body to model the exoskeleton parts.
The goal is to create a functional exoskeleton that’s accessible to all. The project is entirely open-source and 3D printable, with minimal third-party components. You can follow the maker’s design updates on Make: Projects and the suit’s progress on Reddit, where he performs various mobility and load tests.
- Who designed it: Andrea Piccinno
- Difficulty level: Expert
- Where to find it: Hackaday
The Third Thumb
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have an additional robotic arm on your body? Think about the four tentacles fused to Doctor Octopus, the Spider-Man villain – minus the AI, that is. What kind of experience would it be to have an additional appendage? The third thumb is a project made with such questions in mind.
The creator’s vision is to augment the body rather than fix or replace it. This project, in a way, tries to add more functionality to the hand with an additional thumb and is wirelessly controlled using your toes. The project is, at present, part of the research carried out by the Plasticity Lab and is a study on how the brain adapts to such augmentation prosthetics over time.
- Who designed it: Dani Clode
- Difficulty level: Expert
- Where to find it: Dani Clode Design
HandExohand
The Youbionic HandExohand is a one-of-a-kind project in which you use an exoskeletal glove to control a robotic hand. The Exohand currently only allows you complete control over the fingers.
To build the HandExohand, you need to purchase the video tutorial, of which you can take a sneak peek here. You need 3D printed parts, an Arduino and other electronics, and some programming knowledge. Quantum has integrated Youbionic’s Exohand and glove with the quantum system. You can take the project to the next level by operating it wirelessly.
Exo-Suit
The Exo-Suit is a complete exoskeleton suit covering your arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. As the 3D printed parts are lightweight, the user of this exo-suit has excellent mobility. While the project is in progress, most individual parts are complete – and you can print them easily.
You can refer to the summary and the print settings on the project page, as there are many valuable tips for a successful print. A maker on Reddit is utilizing this exoskeleton to support his lower back and legs for scoliosis. This model is currently a passive exoskeleton used for stability.
- Who designed it: Roman13
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Where to find it: Thingiverse
Hand Controller
Video game controllers are constantly evolving to make the interface between the game and the experience as seamless as possible. There are many ways to interact with your games, including buttons, joysticks, and motion sensing, among many others. This is where the exoskeleton hand controller for gaming comes in.
With the release of many virtual reality (VR) games, you can enhance your in-game experience with this controller, which allows you to control the game with your finger movements. Making your own hand controllers could be an affordable alternative to buying expensive VR gloves. And the best part is, you don’t need to be limited to using this in VR and other interactive games, as this hand controller has a wide range of applications.
- Who designed it: marco_balletta
- Difficulty level: Expert
- Where to find it: Cults
Cast
Plaster casts and splints are widely used, and these can cause significant movement restrictions and discomfort. However, there are other issues to consider, such as swelling, infection, and hygiene. You can address these issues with an exoskeleton cast like ActivArmor’s.
3D printed exoskeleton casts are lightweight and highly customizable. Following a 3D scan of the limb, the cast can be designed and printed. The cast has lattice-like cutouts to allow for ventilation and observation of skin conditions. A similar example is Jake Evill’s stylish Cortex cast.
- Who designed it: ActivArmor
- Difficulty level: Expert
- Where to find it: ActivArmor
Cosplay
3D printing plays a crucial role in cosplaying as you can customize and make your dream character a reality. There are many 3D printed costume ideas out there, but a complete replica of the exoskeleton suit from Elysium is perhaps one of the best projects around.
To give the exo-suit a more realistic appearance, the maker uses pistons and electronics such as fans and LEDs. You may not be able to increase your speed and strength to reach Elysium, but your exoskeleton cosplay will undoubtedly astonish many.
- Who designed it: 01binary
- Difficulty level: Intermediate
- Where to find it: Thingiverse
Upper-Limb Support
There are many people with neuromuscular conditions that affect the mobility of their limbs. A 3D printed prosthetic was developed to aid people with upper-limb mobility difficulties with a lightweight and customizable support: the Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX). This upper-limb orthosis provides strength, stability, and a wide range of motion.
It’s available as a wheelchair and seating system attachment, and, nicknamed “Magic Arms“, is also available for children. The support comes in predetermined sizes or can be customized, and the design is available on GrabCAD for those who want to print their own.
- Who designed it: Jaeco Orthopedic
- Difficulty level: Expert
- Where to find it: Adult, pediatric
Full-Body
Many creators get their inspiration from the fictional world; 3DPrintIt is one such creator. His goal is to create a full-body functional exoskeleton suit similar to the one seen in the film Elysium – clearly, a popular movie for exoskeleton inspiration. He has successfully created exoskeletons for hands, arms, legs, and feet, though only the hands are available to download for free.
The creator is getting closer to his final goal of a full exoskeleton suit with additions, updates, and upgrades. In the meantime, there have been many successful makes and remixes of this project. In addition, the designs can be used as a base for further creation, such as powering the exoskeleton parts with electronics for actuation.
License: The text of "3D Printed Exoskeleton: The Most Advanced Projects" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.