A lot of kids dream about being a superhero right? Well, a non-profit organization called E-Nabling The Future, which designs and prints prosthetic fingers and hands for people in need, is utilizing 3-D printing to get some children one step closer to that dream. The idea behind the project is simple enough: Why have a plain prosthetic arm when you can have Wolverine claws attached to them? At least that was how Aaron Brown felt.
Brown, a 3-D printing enthusiast in Michigan, volunteers for E-Nabling The Future alongside others volunteers including engineers, physical therapists, designers, and people who are simply interested in the development and creation of low-cost prosthetic limbs for children. Brown introduced the modified prosthetic during the Grand Rapids Maker Faire and (as expected) it was an absolute hit. As Huffington Post very correctly points out, “Just because you’re missing a hand, doesn’t mean you can’t be a superhero.”
“People’s faces just lit up!” Brown said in an interview. “The kids went crazy over it. And don’t worry … the claws aren’t sharp! They are rounded plastic and just stick on and off with velcro.”
Recently, 3-year-old Rayden “Bubba” Kahae got to experience becoming a superhero (the E-Nabling way). Kahae was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which caused his right hand to develop without fingers. Thanks to E-Nable, he now has an Iron Man prosthetic hand.
Best of all, the prosthetic was within the family’s budget. Other commercially-made prosthetic hands can cost upwards of $40,000, but Kahae’s 3-D printed Iron Man hand only cost $50 to build and was sent to him for free.
