Simplified Anatomical Articulation Model

thingiverse

This simplified model of a joint helps teachers teach kids (3-12) how muscles, bones, and tendons work together in articulations. Inspired by the elbow joint, it shows how the arm moves. The model needs additional tubes, preferably cardboard, long balloons, and optional tape and latex glove to make the hand. This makes it perfect for a fun crafts project that kids can do. You can customize the design so that all tubes fit together well worldwide. To improve accuracy or the model overall, I'm open to suggestions. For instance, you could add another piece to tie balloons on the opposite side of the joint's tube. You might also use this model for engineering with some modifications. Once it's printed, measure your tubes to get accurate dimensions. Here are the post-printing steps: Step 1: Put the two parts together carefully, as they may snap when joined due to printing quality or material issues. Step 2: Fit the two tubes together seamlessly using glue if necessary. If you decorate the model, make sure to use non-toxic paints that stick well to the material used. Another option is to add an inflated latex glove for the hand using tape. For Step 4, inflate a balloon so that its length is less than that of the tube and attach it in the middle, leaving two deflated "strings" on either side. Tie or tape one string to the top of the tube, then repeat with the other muscle. You can customize your design using a computer program such as pie.scad. This program allows you to add custom parts to the model to make it more accurate. I used Chris Petersen's design from Thingiverse as inspiration and improved upon it.