LONDON: Seven-year-old Faith Lennox grew up without wanting a prosthetic one after losing her left hand at only nine months old. That was until she got the opportunity to get a custom-made prosthetic created using a 3D printer.
She even got to pick the colours, choosing her favourite ones blue, pink, purple and viewers can see her with new ‘robohand.’ The great thing about it is, not only is it lightweight which makes it perfect for children, but it can easily be reproduced.
Mark Lengsfeld from the non-profit E-Nable group helped the family get the prosthetic. ABC News reports:
E-Nable provides open-source technology for building the hand, Lengsfeld said, making it economical for anyone with the right printer and a set of instructions to create one. Faith’s only costs $50, and when she outgrows it she can easily build a bigger replacement.
Another reason it’s so affordable is that, unlike adult models, it works without expensive sensors. Instead Faith manipulates it by moving her arm back and forth, which means she can now ride her bike just like any other kid.