Self-made 3D printed assistive devices to promote a self-determined life

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?

The technology behind it makes it possible to custom design smaller auxiliary means and other gadgets on the computer and print them at low cost. There are many accessible free open source files online in case you lack the necessary design skills. Plus there are more and more ways to print the assistive devices without the need to personally own this type of printer.

This process is taking the assistive devices sector by storm, as was also evident at the HelpCamps BarCamp in early December 2017, where it was a hot topic. The "Do it yourself" booth of the VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH (VDI Technology Center) in Hall 4 at REHACARE 2017 was equally popular and well visited. As part of the "Light Cares – Photonic Technologies for People with Disabilities" competition, ten projects that were showcased at REHACARE- among other venues- received awards last year.

Nils Beinke, the initiator of the www.makershelpcare.de online portal visited the trade fair to expand his network and became an instant co-exhibitor at the VDI booth. "The REHACARE trade show last year gave me and my project a push in the right direction." Beinke was able to immediately make the right connections, have conversations, and promote his idea of facilitating inclusive workshops for children and adolescents. "Young people collaborate to create assistive devices that make independent living in the community easier. They use technology and savvy to solve problems people with disabilities face in their everyday lives." He attests that the student workshop in Paderborn is a fantastic, extracurricular activity to promote these goals. In the near future, Beinke intends to change the fact that there is no inclusive module yet.

Beinke gets support from – among others – the SELFMADE team led by Professor Ingo Bosse. Right from the start, he has been in touch and constantly communicates with the inclusive MakerSpace in Dortmund. SELFMADE sees itself as a place "where people with and without disabilities meet and create products together that are based on digital technologies," Bosse explains in an interview with REHACARE.com. "We want to discover what 3D printing is able to accomplish in the field of assistive devices." So far, the project has produced 20 devices that have been tried and tested in everyday use... and with much more to come.

In addition to SELFMADE, the e-NABLE project also wants to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities by using 3D printing technology. The three-person team makes colorful and personalized hand and arm prosthetics for children. However, these designs don’t claim to rival medical prosthetic devices. Instead, the focus is on the psychological effect, says Jan Hengst, the founder and Executive Vice President of e-NABLE Germany e.V., in an interview with REHACARE.com. "While a medical prosthetic device is designed to 'conceal' a physical disability and maybe even hide it, our hands achieve the exact opposite. Suddenly you are no longer the kid with the broken hand, but the one with the colorful superhero or princess hand." What’s more, people typically are gentler and more careful with actual medical prosthetics. Meanwhile, the e-NABLE hands are perfectly suited for kids to run around and encourage them to play. After all, "should something break, we can simply replace the component and repair it," says Hengst.

To what extent can 3D printing impact or even change the development of assistive devices now and in the future? "At this point, 3D printing still tends to be a niche technology," says Bosse. He talks about a Dortmund-based company that specializes in pediatric wheelchairs and uses the printing technique for its in-house prototype development. Bosse thinks that this will also be beneficial for the industry sector in the future. Apart from that, he primarily sees great potential in small-scale solutions such as adapted hockey sticks for a wheelchair hockey team for example. "I think that 3D printing can be a valuable addition rather than a technology that fundamentally revolutionizes the assistive device market."

Hengst also sees a major advantage in customization. "You can make changes to products without much effort and expenditure – whether it relates to the position of a grip or the size of the assistive devices that can be adjusted." Hengst also points out that the print quality, as well as speed and device usability, are not technically mature yet. "Once the devices are more advanced in their development, the improved usability will definitely also increase their popularity and user acceptance."

Benke also agrees that 3D printing and an online exchange will generally help create brand-new possibilities. "If I want a one-handed assistive reading device, a cup holder or a 3D printed map for people with visual impairments, I only find solutions online." And if people should be able to find data files and instructions on his MakersHelpCare.de portal, Beinke believes he would have achieved a great deal because in doing so, he is "a part of a new, fantastic German Do-It-Yourself culture".

Whether it is arm prosthetics for children, shoe insoles for people with diabetes or thickened cases for game controllers – the possible applications for 3D printing are as multifaceted as the people and their individual needs. And perhaps the small and large scale 3D printed assistive devices are sooner or later not just able to break down barriers for people with disabilities, but can also promote their self-determination and encourage participation in social life.