Over one month ago, we covered this story about an Australian man, Alex Czech, who 3D printed an exoskeleton hand while he was originally working on the idea of developing a universal joint. Well, the idea of the joint led to the finger, which led to the hand creation. While Czech reports that he did not know there were others working on the same type of 3D printable design, he is not alone in his interest in making the hand exoskeleton.
Czech talked about possibly adding DC motors on the fingers’ joints to “make a miniature power drill on the fingertips,” but he acknowledged that this improvement would take place somewhere “down the line.” He then continued to work on extending the hand project.
And now, less than one month later, he has released files for his expanded project, which has reached the level of, you guess it, a 3D printed exoskeleton arm! And Czech says he is now one step closer to the exoskeleton suit worn by Matt Damon’s character in the science fiction film Elysium. I’ve gotta admit it looks fairly accurate, and certainly must have taken a lot of hard work and skill for Czech to get this far.
The arms are truly a labor of love, as Czech began this journey tinkering with his 3D printing hobby in his after hours (he works in investor relations). One hand alone of this entire arm model has 13 unique parts.
And true to the original exoskeleton hands, the arm parts are also entirely 3D printed except for the screws and metal washers they require. Like the hands that came before them, these arms were also 3D printed on Czech’s Up Plus 2, which has a 14 x 15 x 15 cm build area. He makes the 3D design downloadable for $19.67, and states that this new exoskeleton design is the result of hours of test printing.
The arms were designed to be printed using ABS plastic, and Czech reports that his exoskeleton is “surprisingly comfortable to wear and should sit firmly on your arms.” The question you may have, at this point, is what the function of the exoskeleton arms is, and, since DC motors have not been added to the hands yet, we can answer that these arms are intended to evoke a science fiction effect.
Later on down the line, the hand portion of the full arm could work as a multipurpose glove. In the meantime, feel fee to join Alex Czech’s futuristic looking world by downloading and 3D printing your own exoskeleton arms! Let us know you decide to take on this crazy project and how they turn out for you in the 3D Printed Exoskeleton Arms forum thread at 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
3D Printing News Briefs, June 11, 2025: Sustainability, Automotive Tooling, & More
We’re starting with sustainability news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as EOS has strengthened its commitment on climate responsibility, and Zestep is making 3D printing filament out of eyewear...
3D Printing 50 Polymer Stand-In Parts for Tokamaks at the PPPL & Elytt Energy
Of all the world’s things, a tokamak is one of the hardest, most complex, expensive and exacting ones to make. These fusion energy devices make plasma, and use magnets to...
3D Printing News Briefs, May 17, 2025: Color-Changing Materials, Humanoid Robot, & More
We’re covering research innovations in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs! First, Penn Engineering developed 3D printed materials that change color under stress, and UC Berkeley researchers created an open source,...
Firehawk Aerospace Partners with JuggerBot 3D, Gets $1.25M from AFWERX for 3D Printed Propellants
Texas-based Firehawk Aerospace, an advanced energetic materials firm that works with aerospace and defense applications, announced a strategic partnership with JuggerBot 3D, an Ohio-based large-format 3D printer manufacturer. Together, the...