Open-Source 3D Printed Hands

📖 The Story

Who, When, and Where — Context

Started in 2011 from a coincidental collaboration between Ivan, a cosplay nerd in the US, and Richard, a South Africa-based carpenter who had lost his fingers in a woodworking accident, the open-source prosthetics solution using 3D printers has its maker and user community worldwide.

Why — Challenge

Prosthetics are expensive. Richard, for example, learned that a single finger would cost around US$10,000. Meanwhile, even if an artificial finger or hand is crafted, children—like the 5-year-old Liam in the story—grow fast, and the prosthetics can soon be unfit for their bodies. Many people worldwide are suffering from similar financial and fitting challenges.

What and How — Tech Solution

Although Ivan and Richard started with tailor-made prototypes at an early phase of the design process, which took more time and cost, they eventually partnered with a 3D printer company to boost the process. 3D printers helped them to collaborate at a distance between the US and South Africa, publish the design to the public (i.e., open-source), and quickly form a global community of makers, users, donors, and volunteers.

💡 Key Insights

• 🌍️ Technology makes cross-continental collaboration possible. YouTube, email, Skype, 3D printers, a fundraising platform, digitalized prosthetics blueprints, and Google Plus made cooperation between the US and South Africa, as well as other volunteers worldwide, possible.

• 🔧 Iterative prototyping and testing in the field are crucial at an early phase of application development. It’d be the most efficient way to optimize a solution for what works best in the real world.

• 🤝 Open source technology forms communities, and communities amplify the impact. After a certain point, making the solution public can be a great way to boost the development and maximize the audiences across the globe.

✅ Try This

What are you most passionate about recently—either your work or hobby? If you were to share the passion with 10 people outside your country of residence, which communication channels would you use? How can you influence the others and make the audiences from 10 to 100?

📊 Did You Know?

WHO estimates that, in 2017, only 1 in 10 people in need had access to assistive products such as prostheses and orthoses. The low accessibility is due to their high cost and availability of trained personnel, policy, and financing.