Prosthetics and 3D Printers
(photo grabbed from 3D Printer’s coverage of this story http://www.3dprinter.net/makerbot-3d-printers-accelerate-distribution-of-robohand)
This is a story about about a puppeteer and a carpenter teaming up to create a 3D printable prosthetic robotic hand. It started with carpenter Richard Van, who lost fingers and went searching for a solution. He found puppeteer Ivan Owen online who specializes in awesome robotic puppet hands. Add Makerbot to the equation, who donated their Replicator 2, 3D printer to them, and things really got going. Now these two are in the news for creating their functional Robohand using inexpensive materials and fitting them to children in need. What’s more awesome still is that they’re making their work accessible to anyone who wants to download the files to a 3-D printer on a site called Thingverse. (link- http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:44150)
It is advised that anyone wanting to try this technology consult with an orthopedic doctor or similar expert to ensure the proper attention to fitting. It’s also something that requires assembly after printing. But all in all, it’s still a huge leap in prosthetic accessibility. I also have a personal fondness for seeing fields converge like this. Having started in sculpting with an instructor who had learned in collectible model making, and taking that knowledge into my studies of anaplastology and the making of those kinds of prostheses, the gap between similar fields has been readily apparent. It’s great to see those kinds of gaps bridged, and a bunch of kids get functionality back, and without breaking the family bank accounts even!