A team of experts from various fields were able to develop a prosthetic arm that could be made cheaply using 3D printing technology
While 3D printing technology has emerged to serve a wide variety of purposes, few appear more worthwhile than that of US-based company Not Impossible Labs.
Through its Daniel Project, the company has not only provided 3D-printed prosthetic arms for amputees in war-torn Sudan, but empowered the local community to continue the initiative in its absence.
The origins of the project date back to 2012 when Daniel Omar, then aged 14, was attending to his family’s cows when a bomb was dropped on nearby rebel forces. Seeking cover behind a tree, Daniel was able to to save his life, but not his hands, losing both to the blast which ultimately left him with two stumps for upper arms.
After hearing Daniel’s story, Not Impossible co-founder and CEO Mick Ebeling says he was compelled to act. Feeling invigorated following the success of his EyeWriter project, which enables artists with paralysis to draw using their eyes, Ebeling crowd-sourced a team of innovative experts from various fields to tackle his next venture.
Comprising the creator of the RoboHand Richard Van As, an Australian MIT neuroscientist, and the owner of a Californian 3D printing company, the team set to work in designing an arm that was effective and relatively cheap compared to traditional prostheses. The end result was a 3D-printed prosthetic hand that enabled Daniel to feed himself for the first time in two years (he ate three brownies).
In keeping with Not Impossible’s slogan, “Help One. Help Many,” Ebeling and his team set up a workshop in a local hospital and trained local clinicians to print and build the prosthetic arms themselves. “Teaching a man to fish” appears to have been an effective approach, as the company says that within one and a half weeks of departing Sudan, the local workshop had already created four prosthetic arms.
The Latest on: 3D-printed prostheses
via Google News
The Latest on: 3D-printed prostheses
- Victoria Hand Project looking to produce prosthetics for people injured in Ukraine waron August 5, 2022 at 9:30 am
Inside the engineering lab wing at the University of Victoria is a team of engineers working to make a difference in developing countries.
- ‘Raised by Wolves,’ but Made by 3D Printingon August 5, 2022 at 6:42 am
In the real world, 3D-printed prosthetics are making people whole again, but in the fantastical realm of the HBO Max series, 3D printing is used to deconstruct characters to gruesome effect.
- Mr. Stubbs, the Arizona alligator with a prosthetic tail, passes awayon August 4, 2022 at 11:43 am
The Phoenix Herpetological Society announced the alligator's death this week. Mr. Stubbs got a second chance at life by receiving a 3D-printed prosthetic tail.
- Victoria project hopes to give hand to Ukrainians injured in waron August 4, 2022 at 3:15 am
The Victoria Hand Project is reaching out to give a hand to the many Ukrainians who have lost hands and upper limbs due to the ongoing conflict in their country. The project, which makes low-cost ...
- California State University, Fullerton: Mechanical Engineering Students Design 3D-Printed Prosthetic Arm to Benefit Disabled Individualon August 1, 2022 at 9:48 pm
Cal State Fullerton mechanical engineering student Scott Salling had a promising career in the U.S. Navy. But at age 27, his service was unexpectedly cut short after he was diagnosed with cancer.
- 3D-Printed Prosthetic Puts The Power In The Hands Of Those Who Need Iton August 1, 2022 at 5:00 pm
In recent years, prosthetics have seen a dramatic increase in innovation due to the rise of 3D printing. [Nicholas Huchet] — missing a hand due to a workplace accident in 2002 — spent his ...
- 3D Printed Prosthetic Handon July 29, 2022 at 5:00 pm
3D printing – with the promise of low-scale manufacturing and custom parts – is ideal for the prosthetic industry, but so far prosthetic hands have been a very, very hard nut to crack.
- 3D Printed Oncology Prosthetics Market To Experience Significant Growth During The Forecast Period 2027on July 29, 2022 at 5:39 am
As per the National Cancer Institute, in 2018, around 17 lakh new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. and around ...
- 3D-Printing Resin for Dental Prosthetics Cleared by FDAon July 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Desktop Health announced today that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for Flexcera Base, a proprietary resin for use in 3D printing high-quality dental prosthetics. It reportedly improves on ...
- Making Prosthetic Arms for Those in Needon July 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm
The main reason people in need do not have a prosthetic is the price, which can go from $30,000 to $90,000 or more. In addition, the long travel time for some to the nearest prosthetic clinic or ...
via Bing News
