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Photo collage: 3D-printer with a printed hand and a small model wheelchair which was printed with 3D-printing; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann

Topic of the Month February 2018

Auxiliary means out of the 3D printer

Prostheses, ortheses or gloves for rehabilitation - the market for auxiliary means is diverse. However, the needs of each person cannot always be met. Then individual solutions have to be found: for example, with the help of a technology that was developed back in the 1980s, but only really gained momentum in the last 15 years. This refers to 3D printing. Which possibilities this procedure offers for people with disabilities, you will get to know in our Topic of the Month February: Auxiliary means out of the 3D printer.

Self-made 3D printed assistive devices to promote a self-determined life
Photo: Pen in a gripping device out of a 3D printer; Copyright: beta-web/Hofmann
During the 3D printing process, three-dimensional objects made of plastic, ceramics or biomaterials are created by adding the material layer by layer. This process is based on a three-dimensional computer model of the object to be printed. While 3D printers are at present primarily used in manufacturing and research, in recent years, more and more people with disabilities have also become interested in this technique. Why is that?
Click here for the article about 3D-printed assistive devices

SELFMADE: Making your own 3D printed assistive devices
Photo: Professor Ingo Bosse and his team; Copyright: Technische Universität Dortmund, Oliver Schaper

The small finger attachment to hold book pages in place takes about an hour, the drinking cup with handles takes up to seven hours – 3D printing takes a little patience. However, in exchange, people with and without disabilities can develop and print customized small-scale assistive devices for everyday use at the SELFMADE MakerSpace in Dortmund, Germany.
Click here for the interview with Prof. Ingo Bosse

Colorful, personalized, playable: e-NABLE creates 3D printed hand devices

Photo: Several hand devices of e-NABLE on a table at REHACARE 2017; Copyright: beta-web/Anne Hofmann

Under the name e-NABLE Germany e.V., three Duisburgers produce prosthetic hands for children and adolescents. What makes this so extraordinary: the young user gets to decide the look of the prosthesis because he/she can choose the color of the personalized model that comes from a 3D printer.
Click here for the interview about e-NABLE Germany
Gif animation: REHACARE 2025 from 17 to 20 September 2025 in Düsseldorf/Germany, linked to "More information about the Trade Fair"

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