Changing Life With Simple 3D Printing [Video]

Today we are used to the fact that technology rapidly changes and progresses. You can’t even buy a computer without feeling like you are still behind when it comes to processor speed just 6 months after your purchase. Technology has very much become a huge factor when it comes to changing life as we know it. We find new ways to use it in order to optimize and help us in our daily lives. Some things have even become entirely automated because of it.

However, technology has a far more important value. It’s a value that is far greater than anything we have seen before. It’s when technology changes the course of an entire life that it truly matters. Many people say that 3D printing will be a game changer, but did you know this technology is changing life for people already? For a little 3-year old girl named Emma, 3D printing technology completely changed how she experiences the world. When she was born, doctors told the family that she had arthrogryposis which means she wouldn’t be able to move her arms since her shoulders are internally rotated. Hearts dropped and all hope of this girl enjoying the same play as a healthy child were washed away. But there was something in their future they did not anticipate. It was something that would be changing life once again for Emma.

During a conference in Philadelphia, the family met with Tariq Rahman, a PhD in Nemours Biomedical Research, who immediately felt he could help. He came up with something called the Wrex which he presented to the family. It’s a kind of an exoskeleton which makes it easier for Emma to move her arms around since her shoulders won’t support the weight of her arms. The first prototype of the Wrex was cast in iron so it was quite robust and heavy. Together, they managed to use 3D printing technology to come up with a Wrex west which weighs significantly less than the first prototype. For the first time, Emma could freely play and embrace her family just the way a 3-year old is supposed to. 3D technology is already making an impact on the world. It’s cost effective, and its potential is unlimited, which is why 3D printing is going to become a huge part of our future. There’s no doubt 3D printing will keep progressing and changing life as we know it. For Emma, it’s an invaluable tool that will not only help her function in our complex world, but it will also help her to understand that nothing is impossible.