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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAfter losing her left pinky in a table-saw accident during home renovation, Nerdforge’s Martina Langseth Knutsen adapted an open-source 3D-printable design into a custom cyberpunk prosthetic. The finger is not a powered bionic hand: it is a body-powered mechanical device that uses fishing line as a tendon, elastic elements for return, and a small LED system for illumination.
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A practical problem became a maker project
Martina has described losing her little finger in a table-saw accident while working on home renovations. Coverage of the project also mentions nerve damage. The injury made some ordinary tasks more awkward, including holding a smartphone or several small objects at once. Martina and Hansi, the other half of Nerdforge, already had access to 3D-printing and workshop equipment, so the missing finger became both a personal adaptation challenge and an engineering project.
Rather than trying to disguise the prosthetic as a natural finger, Martina’s later version embraces a deliberately mechanical, cyberpunk appearance. That choice matters: the project treats a prosthesis as both an assistive object and a piece of personal design.
Her own account and the build progression are shown in Nerdforge’s build video. Secondary accounts from Hackster and Hackaday provide additional technical context.
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What the prosthetic actually is
The result is best described as a custom, non-powered, mechanically actuated partial-finger prosthesis with an illuminated fingertip. It provides extra contact and some support, but it does not reproduce normal sensation, dexterity, or grip strength.
It also should not be confused with a clinical myoelectric prosthesis. There are no reported motors, muscle-signal sensors, or electronic grip controls. Martina’s remaining hand supplies the movement, while the printed mechanism transmits that movement to the artificial finger.
| Type | How it works | Where Martina’s design fits |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic prosthesis | Primarily restores appearance | The cyberpunk styling adds a cosmetic element |
| Passive functional prosthesis | Adds contact or support without powered movement | Partly applicable |
| Body-powered prosthesis | Uses the wearer’s movement to actuate the device | Closest mechanical description |
| Myoelectric prosthesis | Uses muscle signals to control motors | Not what this project is |
The open-source design behind it
The starting point was Knick’s open-source Prosthetic Finger design, identified in coverage as version 3.5.5. It is a parametric model: dimensions can be adjusted rather than treating one fixed set of measurements as universal.
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The base concept includes a multi-segment printed finger, a hand or wrist mount, a tendon-like line, and elastic elements that help return the finger to its open position. The design is useful as a starting point, but “parametric” does not mean “ready for every wearer.” A safe and comfortable fit depends on stump length and shape, hand geometry, joint alignment, clearance from neighboring fingers, and the condition of the skin and residual limb.
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How the mechanical finger moves
- The printed finger is attached to a glove-mounted assembly and rigid back plate.
- Fishing line is routed through the finger segments and acts like a tendon.
- When Martina closes her hand, the line becomes taut.
- That tension pulls the linked segments into flexion.
- Elastic elements help the finger return toward its open position when tension is released.
- The back plate and wrist-side mount provide a stable anchor for the mechanism.
This is body-powered actuation. The fishing line does not create force by itself; it redirects force generated by the wearer’s hand movement. The arrangement is simple, lightweight, and accessible to makers, but it also limits the amount of force the prosthesis can safely deliver.
The mechanism’s most demanding engineering problem is not printing a collection of attractive parts. It is getting the alignment and tension right. A small dimensional error can increase friction, make the joints bind, cause the tendon to pull at the wrong angle, or leave the artificial finger extending too far beyond the stump.
From elastic-band prototype to custom glove
The project developed through several iterations. An early version used a basic elastic-band attachment, but that arrangement was inconvenient to put on and remove. Martina then moved the mechanism onto a glove, redesigned the wrist mount and back plate, and scaled and reshaped the finger for her smaller hand.
The glove became more than a way to hold the printed parts. It provided a wearable platform for the tendon anchor, the electronics, and the interface with the hand. The final design had to balance several competing requirements:
- Fit: the prosthetic needed to align with Martina’s anatomy without creating pressure points.
- Motion: the tendon and elastic return system had to move freely through repeated flexion.
- Weight: added material could make the mechanism sluggish or uncomfortable.
- Appearance: the finished object needed to look intentionally cyberpunk rather than unfinished.
- Serviceability: wiring, battery access, and mechanical parts still needed to be reachable.
Metal plating was considered during the styling process, but real metal added too much weight and interfered with the mechanism. A metal-effect painted finish produced the desired visual result without imposing the same mechanical penalty. That is a useful lesson for wearable props: visual mass and physical mass do not have to be the same thing.
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What the LED system does
An LED or LED filament is placed in the fingertip, turning the prosthesis into an illuminated cyberpunk prop. A small 3V battery powers the light, and a momentary switch controls it. Hackaday specifically describes a CR2032 holder, while Hackster describes the electronics more generally as a 3V battery and switch; the exact component arrangement should therefore be understood as belonging to the reported project version rather than every possible build.
Adding the light introduced another routing problem. Thin wires had to reach the fingertip without restricting the finger’s movement or repeatedly bending at a vulnerable point. The battery and switch were integrated into the glove or wrist-side assembly, where they could remain accessible without making the fingertip unnecessarily heavy.
The LED is a visual and novelty feature, not a sensor. It does not detect objects, measure grip force, or control the finger’s movement.
What it can—and cannot—do
The prosthetic can add a useful point of contact and help Martina hold some small objects. It moves as she closes and opens her hand, which makes it more functional than a purely cosmetic replacement. However, the available reporting describes its mechanical strength as limited.
It is not a heavy-duty gripper, a powered hand, or a replacement for the lost finger in every practical sense. The remaining fingers still perform most of the work. The device also provides no restored sensation, and there is no evidence that it was clinically tested, medically prescribed, waterproofed, or designed for sustained forceful use.
That limitation is not a failure of the project. Its value lies in solving a specific problem with a relatively simple mechanism while giving the wearer control over the object’s appearance and identity.
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Could someone make one?
The open-source model lowers the design barrier, but it does not turn the project into a drop-in beginner print. A person attempting a similar build would need to handle:
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- measurements and anatomy-specific modifications;
- printing, cleaning, curing, and finishing the parts;
- joint tolerances and tendon routing;
- elastic selection and replacement;
- glove, back-plate, and wrist-mount fabrication;
- LED, switch, wiring, and battery integration;
- repeated fit and movement tests before ordinary wear.
The available coverage mentions resin printing for an initial version, but it does not establish a complete bill of materials, printer model, resin type, print settings, dimensions, print time, total cost, or battery life. Those details should not be assumed from the appearance of the finished device.
For a maker project intended as a costume or demonstration, the design can be an interesting starting point. For sustained wear or forceful tasks, a prosthetist or occupational or hand therapist should evaluate the fit, suspension, alignment, and pressure on the residual limb. A rigid printed socket can rub or create pressure points, especially where there is scar tissue, reduced sensation, nerve pain, or changing limb volume.
Safety and material considerations
Uncured resin should never contact skin. Printed resin parts require proper washing and post-curing, and even a fully cured-looking part may fail at thin hinges, tendon holes, or small anchors. Flexible materials may improve comfort but can reduce dimensional stability; rigid materials may preserve alignment while increasing pressure or breakage risk.
The mechanical parts also have predictable wear points. Fishing line can stretch, fray, kink, or pull free. Elastic elements lose tension. Small joints can bind because of residue, imperfect tolerances, friction, or misalignment. These failure modes matter more in a wearable device than they would in a static display prop.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The electronics need care as well. Coin cells have limited capacity and should be protected from short circuits. Thin wires can break at moving joints, and a battery compartment should be secure but accessible. Exposed conductive parts should not rest against irritated or broken skin. Nothing in the reported project establishes waterproofing or medical electrical safety.
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Most importantly, a homemade prosthetic should not be used as protective equipment or as a substitute for safe procedures around machinery. People with recent amputations, open wounds, infection risk, severe pain, neuroma symptoms, or poor sensation should seek professional advice before wearing a device like this.
Open-source does not mean unrestricted commercial use
Hackster reports the underlying Thingiverse design as licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike. That generally means attribution, noncommercial conditions, and share-alike obligations matter when modifying or redistributing the original files. The live Thingiverse license panel should be checked before publishing, sharing, or selling anything based on the model.
The license for any customized Nerdforge files should not be inferred from the base design. Readers should also distinguish between downloading an open-source model and producing a safe, person-specific assistive device. The first may be straightforward; the second requires measurement, fabrication judgment, and—where real-world wear is involved—professional assessment.
Why the project matters
Martina’s prosthetic is compelling because it combines modest mechanical assistance with a strong visual identity. It does not promise a fully equivalent replacement finger. Instead, it demonstrates how an open-source mechanism, a glove, fishing line, elastic return, a few electronic components, and careful iteration can address a real everyday inconvenience.
The most important part is not the glowing fingertip. It is the adaptation process: finding a workable attachment, fitting the design to an individual body, reducing weight, routing the tendon and wiring, and choosing an aesthetic that makes the device feel like something to wear rather than something to hide.
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